Regional will be entered for the Nunthorpe at York and the Sprint Cup at Haydock, following his performance in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.
Ed Bethell’s star horse concluded his 2023 season by winning the Sprint Cup in Merseyside and began this season with a second-place finish in the Greenlands Stakes in Ireland.
The six-year-old also secured a runner-up finish in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last month. Having opted out of the July Cup at Newmarket due to unfavourable ground, hopes were high for him to reclaim victory at the Group Three level.
After setting the early pace in the Hackwood Stakes, Regional was ultimately surpassed by a trio of three-year-olds: Elite Status, Lake Forest, and Kind Of Blue. Despite this, Bethell believes his horse performed commendably in a race that wasn't ideally suited to him.
The speed of the race was extraordinary—breaking the track record at Newbury requires a truly rapid pace, and the way the race unfolded was simply the nature of competition.
While defending his Sprint Cup title is a top option for Regional, Bethell is also considering a run at the Knavesmire first.