Wathnan Racing's £1 million buy Rogue Lightning on course for Temple Stakes return at Haydock

Wathnan Racing’s £1 million buy Rogue Lightning is on target to make his return in the Betfred Temple Stakes at Haydock on Saturday week.

The Emir of Qatar’s burgeoning racing operation paid the seven-figure sum for the progressive sprinter at the Goffs Qipco Champions Day Sale in October, less than three weeks after his eyecatching fifth in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp.

Rogue Lightning secured a hat-trick last season for previous owners The Rogues Gallery, who bought the son of Kodiac for 42,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale in 2022, following a gelding operation and the application of a hood.

His trainer Tom Clover feels the four-year-old is coming nicely to hand in the lead-up to the Group 2 sprint, which is hoped to be a stepping stone to the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Profitable was the last horse to complete the Haydock-Ascot sprint double in 2016, while Liberty Beach and Battaash were placed in the race formerly known as the King’s Stand after Temple wins.

Rogue Lightning is a 6-1 shot for the Temple with William Hill and a best-priced 10-1 with bet365 for the King Charles III Stakes.

Tom Clover: trainer of progressive sprinter Rogue LightningCredit: Edward Whitaker

Clover said: “I’m very pleased with how he’s trained and in recent weeks he's looked to be coming together really nicely. He did a nice piece of work on the Limekilns on Friday morning and he’s in good shape, so at the moment we’re very much on target to start off in the Temple.

“It would be lovely to go on to the royal meeting from Haydock if all goes well. He’s a course-and-distance winner [in relation to Ascot's five-furlong course] – albeit in a handicap – and it’s an exciting prospect to hopefully run him there.

“I’m very grateful to Wathnan Racing for supporting us and I really hope he can be a top sprinter for them this year. Richard Brown and Olly Tait are helping to orchestrate the exciting movement that is Wathnan Racing coming into British racing, which is excellent news for the sport.”

Rogue Lightning’s stablemate Fifty Nifty made an eyecatching winning debut at Yarmouth last month, beating the 78-rated Lennox by three and a half lengths, and Clover is eyeing a novice race under a penalty this month for the Ollie Humphrey-owned three-year-old.

Clover said: “He was really impressive and looks an exciting prospect. He beat a nice horse in Lennox and he’s improved in his work all through the spring, and he’s improved again over the last fortnight. He’ll probably run in the next two to three weeks.”

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