Charlie Johnston’s Align The Stars is considering options for the Lonsdale and Melrose Stakes at York before the St Leger comes into focus.
The three-year-old son of Sea The Stars, out of the proven dam Kitcara, is a full-brother to William Haggas’ multiple Group winner Al Aasy. After a quietly promising juvenile season, Align The Stars has shown consistent improvement this year. He began by placing in several handicaps while gradually stepping up to longer distances.
Following a victory in a mile-and-a-half race at Thirsk in June, he extended his success to a mile and six furlongs, winning the bet365 Handicap at Haydock and clearly enjoying the longer trip. At Goodwood, he again tackled the same distance in the Coral Summer Handicap. Despite having to lead throughout under Joe Fanning, Align The Stars managed to win by a neck from Andrew Balding’s Fairbanks, a heavily-backed winner at the July Meeting.
“He’s been in great shape since Goodwood,” Johnston said. “He hasn’t done anything too strenuous but has been ticking over well and seems to have come out of the race very well. It wasn’t our plan to make the running, but that’s how it worked out. It was something new for him, and he only really started to focus when he had some competition in the final two furlongs. Despite looking in trouble at the two-furlong pole, he held on well in the final stretch.”
Looking ahead, Align The Stars could target the Ebor meeting, with possible entries in the Melrose Handicap or the Group Two Lonsdale Cup. The St Leger and the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp in October are also key targets for him.
“Align The Stars won’t go to the Voltigeur; he’ll be left in the Lonsdale at the confirmation stage, and I wouldn’t rule out an entry in the Melrose,” Johnston said. “If he goes to York, it will be for one of those two races, always with an eye on the St Leger and the Prix Royal-Oak later in the season. Those are significant targets, but the final plan may not be clear until we see the Lonsdale confirmations later this week.”
A big horse, Align The Stars is expected to continue improving with maturity. Johnston is looking forward to targeting top staying events for him next season as a four-year-old.
“While it’s ideal for horses to excel at a mile and a half, we’ve always believed that stamina might be his key to reaching the top level,” Johnston said. “He’s certainly one we’re considering as a potential Cup horse for next year and is on track for those aspirations at this stage of his career.”