All weather
Ian Heitman hopes we will get to focus on the racing as the all-weather’s biggest meeting approaches
Ian Heitman continues the build up to finals day
The recent row over the reduction in prize money by Arena Racing Company (ARC) is extremely complex with trainers, owners and jockeys taking a stand against the reduction with many boycotting allweather races at Lingfield Park and Southwell as well as a National Hunt fixture at Fontwell Park.
The meetings at Lingfield and Southwell saw 16, 19 and 29 runners at the three fixtures. The boycott began on Winter Derby Day at Lingfield with trainers targeting two novice races, one of which failed to attract any runners and the other a walkover for Nick Littmoden’s Greybychoice.
Fortunately an agreement was reached which should see prize money restored to the intended levels before ARC announced their reduction in prize money.
ARC’s most valuable race day of the year and the culmination of the allweather season, All-Weather Finals Day at Lingfield Park on April 19 has £1m up for grabs spread over the seven races. All 24 of the Fast Track Qualifiers have taken place which ensures the winners of these races a guaranteed place in their respective final.
The meeting gets underway with an apprentice handicap over 7f for horses rated up to 100 with a maximum field of 14 likely to line-up. Take The Helm was fourth in 2017 and won in 2018 off a mark of 92, he is currently rated 95 but hasn’t raced since having two quick runs in early January.
Phil McEntee’s EMILY GOLDFINCH
could be hard to catch if she makes the line-up. She went off too quickly in a 1m conditions race at Chelmsford on March 7 and wasn’t disgraced to be third behind two smart horses in Clon Coulis and Pattie. If she does manage to run and is given a low draw, she could be hard to catch.
MARATHON
The first of the Finals is scheduled to be the Marathon over two miles. AMADE was promoted to 3/1 favourite having won the last of the four qualifiers at Chelmsford on a wet and windy evening on March 7. Despite there only being six runners, it was a competitive race with John Ryan doubly represented with AIRCRAFT CARRIER, winner of the second qualifier at Wolverhampton, and GREY BRITAIN, third at Kempton on his previous start, the third of the qualifiers. Mark Johnston who already has Watersmeet qualified for the Final, relied on ELEGIAC who was having his first start of 2019 having been progressive in 2018. HIGHER POWER and TO BE WILD completed the six-runner line-up.
Andrea Atzeni, having his second ride back in the UK following a successful stint in the warmth of Santa Anita in California, was aboard Amade for the first time and they were sent off the 2/1 favourite. Aircraft Carrier, who had decent form going into the race, was very weak in the betting and he ran a strange race, never travelling for his new jockey, Tom Queally, his regular pilot Martin Harley is currently in Hong Kong, he stayed on in the straight but was never dangerous in fourth. His stable companion, Grey Britain took the field along at a steady pace, closely followed by Elegiac with Amade held up. Elegiac took the lead a furlong and a half from the finish, but he was unable to hold off the strong run of Amade who stayed on well in the centre of the course to lead with 150 yards to go and went on to win by three and a half lengths with Higher Power staying on to be third.
Given the poor showing of Aircraft Carrier, Amade looks the strongest contender of the four qualifier winners, STARGAZER, winner of the first at Newcastle was comfortably beaten by Grey Britain at Lingfield and looks to have a bit to find. STAMFORD RAFFLES, given an excellent front-running ride by Richard Kingscote to hold off the challenge Spark Plug and Grey Brittain at Kempton on February 16 has been beaten since off his revised mark of 92 at Chelmsford (he was rated 84
when winning at Kempton) and he looks to have plenty to find.
FESTIVAL OF AGES finished second to Stargazer and Aircraft Carrier in two of the qualifiers and he could be the each-way value at 9/1. A lightly raced five-year-old, Festival Of Ages is trained by Charlie Appleby who has saddled three winners on Finals Day but none since Tryster won the MiddleDistance Final in 2015, albeit having had only two runners subsequently.
Nicky Henderson was keen for VERDANA BLUE to take her chance in the Kempton qualifier Stamford Raffles won, but due to the change in the flu regulations she was unable to take part. Henderson did however find a race for her at Kempton on February 27 over a mile and a half where on paper she had an outstanding chance. Sent off the 1/3 favourite to beat eight rivals, she was always chasing GUMBALL (rated 18lb inferior to Verdana Blue over hurdles), who was given an excellent ride from the front by Oisin Murphy. Whether Verdana Blue takes her chance in the Marathon, best priced 10/1, will presumably be dependent how she performs in the Champion Hurdle and then potentially at Aintree.
FILLIES & MARES
It is highly unlikely the easy winner of the third qualifier at Dundalk on March 6, I CAN FLY, will run at Lingfield, she is being aimed at the Group 1 Dubai Turf over a mile and a furlong on World Cup night on March 30. However, CLON COULIS, winner of the rescheduled 1m conditions race at Chelmsford on March 7, is an intended runner in the Final. She was very strong in the market just before this race, sent off the 4/7 favourite under Jamie Spencer, she comfortably beat her main market rival PATTIE, by a length and three quarters, giving that rival 3lb. A dual Listed winner in 2018, Clon Coulis was given a quote of 10/1 for the Final. Her hold up style of racing might not be ideally suited to Lingfield’s relatively short straight and there might be a couple racing closer to the pace that might be better suited to Lingfield.
RASIMA has already proved her effectiveness at Lingfield, winning the first of the qualifiers in November when she beat fast-finishing Move Swiftly by a head. Her trainer, Roger Varian’s only win from eight runners on Finals Day came in the 2017 Fillies & Mares Final when Realtra was successful. Rasima is currently second favourite behind ISLAND OF LIFE, winner of the second qualifier at Wolverhampton in January.
Island Of Life was stepped up in grade to Listed company for her next start, the Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton on March 9. Well placed close to the pace, she had every chance entering the final furlong but found Above The Rest too strong and went down by a length. Back against her own sex in the Final, she looks sure to go well.
If GORGEOUS NOORA runs in this race rather than in the Sprint Final, she will be very hard to beat. She has shown useful form in her short time with Archie Watson, winning a Listed race over 5f at Lingfield on her latest start. She struggled to go the early pace but finished strongly in the straight to lead with 50 yards to go,
beating ROYAL BIRTH (won his next race at Lingfield comfortably) by three quarters of a length. Although she has only had one previous race over 7f, last of four at Chelmsford in August 2018, she stays 6f well and is in such good form that this would be an easier race than taking on Kachy, who beat her by three and half lengths when they last met in early February.
TIGER EYE has done little wrong in her three races, winning the last two, her most recent over the Final course and distance on March 1. She wasn’t extended to beat her three rivals and has been given a rating of 83 which leaves her with plenty of improvement to make to beat those at the head of the market.
CASTLE HILL CASSIE was behind both Rasima and Island Of Life in two of the qualifiers but has won her two other races during the current allweather campaign, the most recent a comfortable win at Wolverhampton at the end of January. Despite her being rated 100, she has to improve to reverse the form with Rasima and Island Of Life.
SPRINT
The Sprint Final has one of the shortest ante-post favourites, KACHY at even money. Having broken two track records in his last two starts, at Wolverhampton and Lingfield, he is the one to beat, however he was a beaten favourite in this race in 2018 when City Light beat him by a length and a half. He looks a much better horse this campaign and it will be a big surprise if he is beaten this year.
City Light had won the Prix Anabaa prior to winning at Lingfield and this year’s winner of that race, the last of the qualifiers, FORZA CAPITANO will bid to become the fifth French winner on Finals Day. He needed all of Chantilly’s straight to win the Prix Anabaa having been well placed close to the pace throughout, he switched off the rail for a clear run with a furlong and half to go and took the lead from Bakoel Koffie close to the finish. He had finished third behind Clive Cox’s Snazzy Jazzy in a Group 3 race on his final start in 2018, running on well but never managing to challenge. Given the record of the French, three winners on Finals Day in 2018, it would be dangerous to underestimate the chance of Forza Capitano however his trainer Henri-Alex Pantall has yet to have a winner in the UK.
ENCRYPTED hasn’t raced since he finished strongly in the straight to win the first of the qualifiers in November albeit nearly two seconds slower than Kachy’s course record. He progressed into a useful sprinter and could easily find the frame.
MERHOOB could easily have won four races in 2019 rather than just the one he has to his name and he could easily run into a place in the Final. His latest narrow second was at Wolverhampton in a 0-105 handicap on March 9, racing off a career high mark of 100 he just failed to reel in DESERT DOCTOR who was given a fine ride by Andrea Atzeni to win his second race of the current all-weather campaign.
Gorgeous Noora has the option of running in the Fillies & Mares Final but if she does take her chance in the Sprint she would have a place chance, she was comfortably beaten by Kachy when the pair met in early February.
THREE-YEAR-OLD
RED IMPRESSION has been at the head of the ante-post market for the Final since her impressive six lengths success at Lingfield in November but she needs another two runs on the allweather to qualify for the Final.
DEEP INTRIGUE won the last of the qualifiers at Newcastle on February 20, all seven runners having a chance as they entered the last furlong. He beat 50/1 outsider CALL ME GINGER by a neck but showed improved form next time when second to FANAAR in the Listed Spring Cup over 7f at Lingfield on March 2. Fanaar was having his first start of 2019 and has developed into a big strong gelding but he wasn’t ideally suited by Lingfield and will be better suited to the turf. Deep Intrigue has a good chance in the Final as he seems suited by running around a bend and is good value at 9/1.
A couple of points shorter in the betting is NO NONSENSE who won at Kempton in early January. He has progressed with each of his three starts and is sure to be involved in the finish.
The winner of the first qualifier, CONCIERGE has had two races in Doha, winning one and finishing eighth on his most recent in February behind Gay Kelleway’s exciting unbeaten prospect Global Spectrum.
DEPUTISE hasn’t raced since he beat Shining Armor in the second qualifier at Wolverhampton when getting a good ride from Tom Marquand racing close to the pace. He had busy twoyear-old campaign running eight times winning four races and whilst his form isn’t as strong as Deep Intrigue’s, he is trained by William Haggas, the most successful trainer on Finals Day with four to his name, two of which came in three-year-old races.
It is hard to see anything else figuring in this race as possible contenders, Don Armado, You Never Can Tell, James Street and Quiet Endeavour have all been behind the qualifier winners.
MIDDLE-DISTANCE
Despite the Middle-Distance Final being the most valuable, it is the penultimate race on the card and it is due to feature the strongest favourite ever
to run on Finals Day, WISSAHICKON who is as short as 1/3 favourite, having won the Group 3 Winter Derby easily from his stable companion COURT HOUSE at Lingfield on February 23rd. There is a chance Wissahickon could run in one of the world’s richest turf races, the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic on March 30 with a $6 million prize fund. John Gosden is no stranger to winning this race having taken it twice, Dar Re Mi in 2010 and Jack Hobbs in 2017.
If Wissahickon doesn’t contest the Final, Court House would be a very able substitute, he was three and half lengths clear of the third placed horse in the Winter Derby, Pactolus, who just got the verdict for third in a four-way photo finish for that place.
TRAIS FLUORS is currently the second favourite behind Wissahickon having qualified for the Final in the Listed Prix Lyphard in November, the second of qualifiers. He showed his wellbeing at Chantilly on March 5, in the Prix Darshaan, racing close to the pace, he cruised into the lead inside the last 400 metres and only had to be pushed out inside the last 200 to win easily by two and a half lengths from Prix du Cadran winner, Call The Wind who ran a very promising first race of the year over a trip too short for him.
Andre Fabre is yet to have a runner on All-Weather Final’s Day but has a 21% strike rate with his runners in the UK since 2009 and if he does send Trais Fluors over and Wissahickon doesn’t run, he will have an obvious chance.
BIG COUNTRY and MASTER THE WORLD are both likely to head for the Final but they will have to find improvement to figure.
MILE
All-Weather Finals Day concludes with the Mile and the last of the qualifiers was held at Wolverhampton on March 9, the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes over 7f, one of two races on the card which could have a bearing on the Final. OH THIS IS US was the 5/4 favourite having won a handicap off 110 at Lingfield a fortnight earlier, the highest BHA rating to win a handicap on the all-weather since 2010, when he beat APEX KING by a length and a quarter. His main market rival was DOCUMENTING, who was having his first start in Listed company and was just the second Listed runner for his up and coming trainer Kevin Frost. Island Of Life, winner of a qualifier in the Fillies & Mares, was third favourite at 7/1.
Oh This Is Us ran a rare poor race, never getting involved from the rear, the Tapeta surface not suiting him according to his jockey Tom Marquand, and he finished seventh of the eight runners. Documenting was well placed close to the pace set by Arcanada but he was unable to get a clear run inside the last furlong and finished fifth. ABOVE THE REST, a Group 3 winner over 6f at Newcastle in 2018, finished strongly in the straight and grabbed the lead with 75 yards to go and held off Island Of Life to win by a length with CARDSHARP a short head away in third. Arcanada ran much better than he had done on his previous start to be fourth. Above The Rest hasn’t raced over a mile since 2015 but the way he finished off in this race suggested he would be suited by the trip.
The Lincoln Trial over a mile and half a furlong is the most valuable race to be run at Wolverhampton with a prize fund of £50,000. There was a wideopen look to the betting with PINNATA, SILVER QUARTZ and VICTORY BOND all at 7/2. Pinnata had the run of the race from the front but he was headed a furlong from the finish by BREDEN who looked like giving Linda Jewell one of the biggest wins of her career until ZWAYYAN took the lead 75 yards from the finish and stayed on well to by a length from Breden with THIRD TIME LUCKY running on well to be third. Neither Silver Quartz or Victory Bond managed to get too involved finishing 11th and 12th respectively. Zwayyan is heading for the Lincoln at Doncaster on March 30 and will bid to give Andrew Balding a first win in the race, he went close with Tullius in 2014.
The market for the Mile Final is headed by MATTERHORN, who with six wins leads the way as the season’s most winning horse. His latest win came at Kempton on March 6 with an easy win over a mile and quarter beating in-form EXECUTIVE FORCE by five lengths. Although Matterhorn is yet to really face a class of rival he would face in the Final he is very progressive and his style of running, racing close to the pace will ensure he will have every chance to round off a near perfect season in the best possible fashion.
There are a couple of strong challengers to Matterhorn. FLAMING SPEAR won the first qualifier at Kempton in November and improving KEYSER SOZE won a valuable handicap at Newcastle in February on his latest start. He has to prove he is as good over a mile as he is over 7f (all five wins over 7f and no wins from three runs over a mile).
Away from Finals Day, a couple of three-year-olds made impressive winning debuts at Kempton and are worth keeping an eye on. EARDLEY ROAD, is a good-looking colt by No Nay Never trained by Clive Cox. He finished well from the rear of midfield to win over 6f on February 28. EBURY, missed the break and looked to have plenty to do turning into the straight but finished strongly on the outside to lead a furlong and half from the finish, winning by two- and three-quarter lengths. Trained by Martyn Meade, Ebury looks a smart prospect.
TWO-YEAR-OLDS
The turf season begins at Doncaster on March 30 with the first two-year-old race, the Brocklesby due to be the fifth race on the card. Mark Johnston, Richard Fahey and Bill Turner have all saddled two winners of the race in the last 10 years, while David Evans has had second places from 10 runners.