Kempton return in the pipeline for Shuwari comeback

One-time Classic hope Shuwari could make her long-awaited return to action at Kempton on Saturday week in the Virgin Bet Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes.

The daughter of New Bay helped announce Ollie Sangster’s arrival to the training ranks in 2023, winning the Star Stakes at Sandown before going on to finish second in both the Rockfel and Group One Fillies’ Mile at the tail end of her two-year-old season.

She was then among the fancied names for the 1000 Guineas last spring before meeting a setback which would keep her sidelined for the whole of the 2024 campaign.

However, connections hope to have her back on track in 2025 and have tentatively marked Kempton’s one-mile Listed event on March 29 as the ideal starting point.

Sangster said: “Shuwari is in training and is doing very well. She obviously had to miss last season, which of course was very disappointing.

“The plan provisionally is to run her in the Snowdrop at Kempton next week. She will have been off for the best part of 18 months, so it would really just be a revival mission and it will be nice to get her back to the track.

“Hopefully she has retained some of her ability from when she was two. I think she has, but we haven’t asked too many serious questions at home. We’re just letting her find her own feet and hopefully we can get there and she can put up a nice performance.”