Fun on the All-Weather at Lingfield Park

This Friday sees Lingfield Park stage the richest all-weather card in Europe as the course plays host to the climax of the inaugural All Weather Championships held in Britain. Horses running on Friday have had to qualify through either running three times on the all-weather this winter or by winning one of the many fast track qualifying events that have been held over the season, which has been great for the all-weather racing scene as it provides a direction for the season and ensures we get to see a better quality of horse out on the sand. Each race on finals day, bar the fillies and mares race, have had 3 of these qualifiers in the run up to the big day giving punters plenty of chances to see the better horses out around Southwell, Kempton, Lingfield and Wolverhampton. Indeed the average Timeform rating for winners on the all-weather this season is actually up 4lbs, so it would appear the Championship is certainly having a positive effect on the quality of fare on show, and the number of bookmaking sponsors for the Championship Final day indicates betting turnover has benefited as well as punters see familiar names out on the tracks and back them accordingly. The likes of Hawkeyethenoo, Sirius Prospect and Grandeur are all names commonly associated with good quality turf racing so it is great to see them out on the all-weather and is a real boost for the Championship series in its first year. We’ve got 6 Championship races and 1 apprentice race for our entertainment this Friday, with £1,000,000 on offer in prize money, so lets get cracking and check out the card.

We open with an apprentice handicap and in these races in can often be as important to check who is on top of your selection as much as the horse itself. The classic Lingfield ride, as trademarked by Adam Kirby, is to sit close to the pace and use the home turn as a slingshot, making an aggressive move into the home straight, and the jockeys in the opener could do worse than study some of Kirby’s rides throughout the winter. This card-opener is a class 2 race, and not that many of the field bring recent class 2 form to the table. Of those that do Viewpoint has probably the best on offer with a close 2^nd to Brass Ring last time out over course and distance and races here on the same racing weight after the jockey’s claim has been taken into account. Grendisar has been plying his trade around Lingfield for most of the winter but has only won in lower grade races while The Lock Master has been in fine form of late but his class 2 win came at Southwell and I feel he is a bit of a Southwell specialist. Commissar was well beaten behind Viewpoint last time out and there is no reason he should reverse that form at the weights. Icebuster, in the very capable hands of Shelley Birkett, may benefit from the switch back to Lingfield and a shorter trip that previously sent over on excursions to this venue but I return to Viewpoint as my selection. Drawn well in stall 2 around this tight turning track, he started the season off on a mark of 96 so this mark should be well in his compass where winning is concerned. Jockey Cam Hardie has ridden winners around the course so will know what is required to win here and Richard Hannon has started off his first season in full charge well, a tick in the trainer and jockey box. I like that Viewpoint has recent form around here and is still below his last winning mark, albeit only by 1lb and he can be taken to win the opener.

Next up we have the Fillies and Mares going over 7f and to be honest this looks quite a weak race for the prize money and grade. As in the opener not that many horses have class 2 form, with most of the form on offer of class 4 and 5, so again I will hope that quality will come to the fore. I’ll keen the analysis short here as I really don’t think too much of most of these and plump for Glastonberry as the selection. Graham Lee takes the ride on the last-time-out winner who has course and distance form in the book. Drawn nicely in stall 2 Glastonberry has the tactical speed for this 7f trip whereas many of her market rivals, such as Fashion Line and High Time Too, have been winning over further and it can be questioned whether the tight Lingfield track will suit them. Only raised 2lbs since her last win I think Glastonberry can take this weak looking race.

Up at 2:55 we have the 3 year old championship contest where Ertijaal will be the starting, and finishing for many, point in the race. He overcame a very wide draw to win the Spring Cup over C&D on his previous start, and on his debut was good enough to finish 1/4 a length second to the Champion 2 year old of 2013 Toormore who won at Newmarket on Thursday. Given a far kinder drawn in stall three this time it will take a very smart one to prevent Hanagan from getting this one over the line in front, especially considering the red-hot form of the stable. American Hope was flying at the finish of the aforementioned Spring Cup, catching the eye of many, but couldn't get to Ertijaal and there is no obvious reason why that order should be reversed especially with connections voicing their concerns with the short turnaround between his last race and this; ditto with many of the others in the field that were behind the winner that day. I was interested to hear Mark Johnson put up Lady Frances as a horse he was really looking forward to on Championship day. She is quite the all-weather specialist and has had her season framed around this race. She will appreciate this step back up in trip, having found things happening a bit too quick last time out, and with winning pilot Joe Fanning back on board she could outrun her price. Passing Star has done nothing wrong so far, winning weaker races than this on each of his three starts, and drawn in stall 2 could have more to come. He returns from mile trips at Kempton, a more galloping track, to this sharper 7f trip here but has won over C&D before and if they go hard in front could well be one to finish well and grab a place. An interesting contender is Complicit, Paul Cole's charge, who won over C&D back here in November before going over to France and winning there. He hasn't been seen since but is unbeaten under jockey Graham Lee and with form over 5,6,7 and 8 furlongs appears very tactically versatile. I would actually take Complicit to follow the standout horse in the race, Ertijaal, home. However I just can't see past Ertijaal for win purposes. He was impressive in victory last time out here, with Paul Hanagan seemingly keen to do just enough to win. With a far kinder draw, the benefit of that run and his class edge he should be picking up the £93,000 on offer to the winner of this 3 year old conditions stakes.

The longest race of the day follows at 3.30 with the 2 mile Marathon Championship, a competitive heat where, in contrast to the first two races, there is a lot of class 2 and above form brought to the table here. Arch Villain, Castilo Del Diablo, Litigant, Masterful Act and Blue Wave all bring recent winning form in class 2 races so are all bang in there with a form chance. The one I most like here though is Blue Wave, the Mark Johnston gelding, who is stepping up in trip here from 1 mile 1/2 furlong to the 2 mile trip. This in itself could be seen as a positive as Johnston's horses invariably improve for the step up in trip and I certainly am hopeful the extra distance could see improvement from Blue Wave. The fact stable jockey Joe Fanning has gone for the proven stamina of Hunting Ground doesn't overly concern me as Adam Kirby is a more than able deputy, especially around Lingfield. The sharper nature of this track means that this is an ideal place to test out a step up in trip as well so Blue Wave will be given every chance to prove he lasts home, however if the race turns out to be run at a slow pace as some all-weather races can be will certainly have the pace to burn his rivals off. Litigant will prove a stern test of Blue Wave's winning credentials and his last bit of form, when he won a fast-track qualifier over this C&D, is very strong form. At the prices however I'm taking a chance that the step up in trip can see even more improvement from Blue Wave and he is the selection here.

The sprint is the next race up on the card and this looks a really tricky contest to call. Valbchek won the first fast-track qualifier here in November in really impressive fashion, lowering the course record in the process, but hasn't been seen since and his trainer Jeremy Noseda admits he is a very in and out performer so in a race this competitive we may have to swerve him. He also picked up an injury when out in Dubai, a little concerning, but he has been prepped for this race and is clearly a huge danger if turning up on a going day. Tarooq has won the last twice, both over C&D here, and looks a horse on the up while Dean Ivory, a top sprint trainer, is represented by the Lancelot Du Lac who was beaten by Tarooq earlier in the season when trying to give Tarooq 4lbs, a difficult task in all fairness. The selection here though is William Muir's Stepper Point, a 16/1 winner of a fast-track qualifier over 5f here last time out. That was his first run following a gelding operation and he looks to have really benefited from the chop considering how impressively he won that race. The way he was going clear at the end suggests that this 6f trip should be well within his grasp, and he has also won the Beverly Bullet over a stiff 5 furlongs. In a competitive heat he is taken to lead them home

The penultimate race on the card is the Mile Championships where we see Captain Cat, strongly fancied for the Lincoln in some quarters, line up here after missing the Doncaster race due to ground concerns. He has been progressing nicely on the all-weather this season, winning over a mile round Kempton, and was only beaten here LTO by Robin Hoods Bay, who has franked that form since in the Winter Derby. Chookie Royal is rated 5lbs clear of anything else in the field on official figures here so racing off level weights has an obvious chance after flopping in a handicap last time. Noble Citizen has been running well this season, winning round Southwell a couple of times, however he may be somewhat of a fibresand specialist while George Guru is a multiple winner of class 2 races this season but at the age of 7 may not have much improvement left in him, and improvement is required for him to win here. Quite the opposite of George Guru is Grey Mirage, an upwardly mobile  year old who has won 3 of his last 4 starts under the stewardship of Marco Botti. Ryan Moore takes the ride here and he could well be up to winning this if the improvement of late can continue. I'm siding with the badly drawn but serious horse Sirius Prospect here (pardon the pun). Dean Ivory's horse brings some really good turf form to the table and Robert Winston, a regular all-weather jockey, will know what is required to overcome the wide draw here so will give him every chance of winning from the car park. A winner of a class 1 listed event at York last summer over 7f as well as putting in a good effort over 6f in a class 1 grade 2 race at Ascot he certainly has the tactical speed to help Winston out and he showed he goes on the all-weather with a listed contest victory over a mile at Kempton in November. He looks to have been saved for this big day since then and he is the selection in a good looking mile contest.

The last race on the card is the most valuable race ever held on the all-weather in Britain weighing in with £200,000 up for grabs in prize money and takes place over 1 mile 2 furlongs. Robin Hoods Bay lines up here on the back of a C&D win here last month in the Winter Derby where he had Grandeur, the favorite for this race, in behind that day. However Grandeur had a wide draw to overcome there and connections decided to try and ride him differently to compensate, with the end result being a very disappointing run for this globetrotting 5 year old.  Ryan Moore and trainer Jeremy Noseda have vowed to go back to the tactics that served Grandeur so well in the past, and with a far kinder draw his chance is there for all to see as the class act in the race. Robin Hoods Bay has another  kind draw here and can be expected to give another good account of himself, as can Solar Deity, although he has done most of his running over shorter trips and could struggle if this turns into a stamina test.With the red-hot form of the Gosden stable Dick Doughtywylie has to be in with a shout; although he was behind Robin Hoods Bay in the Winter Derby (He also had a bad draw) he has won a Class 1 event round here beating some decent horses like Tales of Grimm, Galician and Gatewood in the process so has the form to figure. Indeed at the likely prices, with Grandeur around the 9/4 mark and Dick Doughtywylie out at 10/1 he looks decent value . I expect Grandeur to go off shorter as well as punters latch onto a familiar name so I'll put up the Gosden horse as the selection here.

There we go, a preview of all 7 races at Lingfield on the inaugural Championship Final day. All the best to the course and I hope the day goes really well as this series has really boosted the reputation of all-weather racing in Britain this season. It's been good fun so far and the races on offer on Good Friday look capable of giving it the send off it deserves.

Good luck and thanks for reading.