Scoop 6 - Are you having a go??

This week's Scoop 6 bet is huge, I'm sure you already know this given the coverage the bet has received as week by week it keeps on rolling over to such an extent that headlines this morning are claiming the bet will be worth a potential £10,000,000 to anyone who can name all 6 winners in the selected races today. As per usual there are some really tricky sprint handicaps involved, in fact the races are as follows

Totepool Scoop6 races

• Race 1 : 1:45 Newmarket
• Race 2 : 2:40 Newbury
• Race 3 : 2:55 Newmarket
• Race 4 : 3:25 Thirsk
• Race 5 : 3:30 Newmarket
• Race 6 : 4:00 Thirsk

Normally I wouldn't be betting in most of the above races but with the prize fund as it is today if you don't get involved with £10,000,000 to be won when will you get involved?!?! You can get involved in the bet for as little as £2, which is done by picking one horse in each race, and can add horses to each races which will obviously increase your stake. Let's have a quick look at some potential selections for this challenging bet.

Race 1 - 1.45 Newmarket 7f 

Jack of Diamonds tempts me in here. He has been running well off a far higher mark on the all weather while his turf mark tumbles down due to a seeming preference for the sand; today he runs off a mark 11lbs lower than he last ran well under around Lingfield. Visor on, a good firm surface under his hooves, I hope he can produce a performance more akin to his all weather form in this race.

Race 2 - 2.40 Newbury 7f 

Indignant is the selection here. Will love the good to firm ground on offer at Newbury and has plenty of previous form over this 7f trip. Richard Hannon trains so don't worry about the lack of a recent run, especially considering this horse's record fresh, and Indignant loves these kind of handicap races, something that some horses just do not take too.

Race 3 - 2.55 Newmarket 7f 

Excuse Parbold his re-appearance run, at first glance 5th place in a 6 runner field may not appear that great but Parbold was trying to give weight to the field, the winner has come out and run well in the Guineas and he was actually beaten under 2 lengths by the winner. Richard Fahey thinks very highly of this one and with his proven ability to handle the Newmarket dip in addition to the fact he has by far the best form in this race Parbold is the selection in this race.

Race 4 - 3.25 Thirsk 5f 

A trappy 5f handicap here and Bronze Beau is taken to win here. The jockey can claim a useful 5lbs and Bronze Beau has run two useful races over 5f this season already, including a 4th of 18 over this C&D latest. He will also appreciate the drying ground and in a race where many of these are getting on a bit or look to have a preference for softer ground Kristin Stubb's charge is taken to win here.

Race 5 - 3.30 Newmarket 6f

Andrea Azteni is riding at the top of his game at the moment and he can ride bottom weight Nova Champ to victory here. Nova Champ won a C&D handicap here at the Guineas meeting and, although 7lbs higher in the weights, with a proven liking for the track and ground conditions I think he could be up to defying that rise especially with the form of the man on top at the moment. Azteni has been on fire up at the York Dante meeting and a confident rider is certainly worth a few lbs in a handicap as tough as this one!

Race 6 - 4.00 Thirsk 1 mile

If you are still in the Scoop 6 at this point then I expect you will be hiding behind the sofa at this point! Take the aptly named Escape to Glory to bring up the 6th winner out of 6 here and take you to glory and £10,000,000. Escape to Glory ran really well on re-appearance at Redcar, winning like an extra 6lbs would not have stopped him, and if he can find further improvement stepped up to a mine he will definitely be involved at the sharp end in the final leg of the record-breaking Scoop 6. Paul Mulrennan rides the Northern tracks well and knows this horse well, hopefully he can steer the selection past the line first.

That's it, a cheeky selection in each race simply because you have to get involved today! There will be many thousands of pounds ploughed into syndicates around the country today hoping to grab a slice of the prize on offer but who is to say the romantic fairytale story of a £2 scooping the lot can't be realised!?!?

Best of luck to all those playing and thanks for reading

Looking back on the first Classic weekend of the season

Newmarket really has treated us to some great action this weekend with some really good, competitive racing and I thought I'd have a look back at the weekend that was, starting with the Sunday's fare. This saw Miss France take the 1000 Guineas for French trainer Andre Fabre, tipped up in the ante-post piece on this site for the race! In a really competitive renewal the first three home were separated by a neck and half a length, with Tapestry, for whom the money came late, a real disappointment. Ollie Stevens can be really proud of his filly Lightening Thunder who came late and hard to grab 2nd place, in a few more yards she could have been the winner, and Ihtimal ran a really good race to finish 3rd. This was a great effort from a filly whom I think will definitely be better over further and was cut in the betting for the Oaks, now around a 16/1 shot. However the race belonged to Miss France who put her disappointing run in her seasonal reappearance well behind her as under Maxime Guyon she got to the front around 1f out and never looked back. Her trainer also thinks she will get further and I believe she is set to step up in trip on her next start, I wonder whether Fabre will be really ambitious and target the fillies triple crown?!? I hope so, it would make for a really exciting sub-plot to the English Classic season, but I think she is set to go for the Prix de Diane next back in France so we will have to see how she gets on there first. Fabre did rule the Oaks out in the immediate aftermath of the race but I still harbour faint hope he might be tempted! Both the winner and the 2nd home hold entries in the Coronation stakes so that may be the place for a re-match and I don't thing Lightening Thunder or Miss France will be allowed to go off at such generous prices for that race!

Another horse in action on Sunday doing her Oaks credentials no hard at all was the John Gosden trained Taghrooda who was really impressive in the Pretty Polly stakes over 1m 2f. Now as short as 3/1 for the Oaks she certainly impressed over the Newmarket circuit, winning easily and from trainer quotes post race the Oaks is certainly the target for this filly. It doesn't look like Gosden will be using a prep race, instead preferring to take Taghrooda for a solo spin round the Epsom undulations, but the master trainer knows what he is doing and both he and jockey Paul Hanagan were positive regarding her Oaks chances post-race.

On Saturday we saw a fascinating 2000 Guineas, with a shock winner in the Richard Hannon trained, Kieron Fallon ridden Night of Thunder. That marked Fallon's 6th victory in the Guineas, such an impressive record and it shows that despite his age he is still one of the top jockeys out there. The form of this race looks rock solid, with Kingman coming 2nd and Australia 3rd, and it looks like the Irish Guineas may provide us with a chance to see the first two home clash once again while the 3rd home looks Derby bound. Night of Thunder hung halfway across the track in winning the race so you could say without that he would have won by further, I certainly do not think there is any fluke about this result. Toormore was a big disappointment for me, Hannon saying he just ran flat, but I do think post-race that he may not have quite the required class to compete right at the top level.

One horse that certainly has all the class to compete right at the top is Sole Power who won the Palace House stakes in a really taking fashion. Ryan Moore didn't get the clearest of runs aboard the favourite but once he had some clear air in front of him there was no doubt as to which horse would win the race and Sole Power put the race to bed in decisive fashion. On quick ground he is one of the best sprinters out there and I wouldn't be keen to oppose him if he attempts to win the Temple Stakes title at Haydock in the near future, and quotes of 7/1 for the Kings Stand stakes at Ascot could look big if we get fast ground on the day. He may not be that great an ante-post proposition as he is really ground dependant but it will be some sight if this speedball lines up at Ascot at the Royal meeting.

We've got more great flat action hot on the heels of this meet, with Chester's May Festival kicking off on Wednesday, we really are treated at this time of year! Thanks very much for reading this and have a great rest of the Bank Holiday weekend.

1000 Guineas Ante-Post

On the 4th May we have the fairer sex stepping up to the plate at Newmarket as the 3 year old fillies get the chance to strut their stuff in the 2nd Classic of the season. Also run over the 1 mile trip the 1000 Guineas is restricted to fillies only and makes up the first leg of the fillies triple crown, along with the Oaks and St Leger. Looking back at previous renewals of this race in the last 4 years we have had winners at 9/1, 25/1 and 16/1; the only winning favourite in the last 4 years came after Jacqueline's Quest, a 66/1 shot, was relegated to 2nd place after a stewards enquiry, so it may pay to look away from the market leaders. In this blog I'll have a look at the fillies that line up for this year's renewal.

Clive Brittain trains the favourite for this race in the shape of Rizeena, currently a 7/2 shot. This filly has proved her stamina for a mile and also proved a liking for this track after finishing a length behind Chriselliam over a mile back in September of last year. That form went on to receive a boost after the victor that day won at the Breeders Cup meeting, putting her in as favourite for this race. Sadly she has had to be put down since, absolutely heartbreaking for connections. Prior to that Rizeena had beaten 2nd fav in the 1000 Guineas market Tapestry over 7f in Ireland. Brittain was apparently very pleased with his filly in a piece of work, hence the decision not to use a prep run for her, so we have to take her well-being on trust. She was certainly raced plenty enough last season and did post, as previously touched on, some very smart performances. However I just feel something a bit more lightly raced could improve past her so with that in mind I'll look past the market leader in terms of an outright selection for this Classic.
Of the others at the head of the market Miss France is the one who's chances I most like for this race. She disappointed in a trial race on her seasonal reappearance but the French treat trial races as exactly that and the current price of 10/1 is very appealing considering she had been a 9/2 shot before that. The winner of the Oh So Sharp stakes over 7f at Newmarket at the back end of last year trainer Anrde Fabre won't be wasting a trip across the channel and Miss France has already proven her stamina over a mile.
Ihtimal has some very strong form over on the Tapeta surface of Meydan but may be a filly who's best will be seen over the Oaks trip given she has already won over a mile and ten furlongs. She has already been beaten by Rizeena over this course and distance 3 runs prior so is passed over. My Titania has been priced up as if she already has the form in the book to win this, which is not the case. Trained by the master trainer John Oxx her best form thus far is at Group 3 level, and while there must be plenty more to come after only three starts 8/1 is short enough. Lucky Kristale certainly has stamina to prove having done her winning last year over the 6f trip but another who I like is the Ed Dunlop trained Amazing Maria. The fact this filly handles the unique Goodwood track lends hope to the idea she will get the Newmarket dip well, she has some decent form and appears to be better at 7f than 6f so hopefully the further step up in trip off the back of a good winter will allow her to benefit from the mile test here. She was a really impressive winner of her Group 3 win last time out, winning as she liked, and has been the subject of positive reports over the winter. Ed Dunlop is no stranger to training good fillies, Snow Queen is one fine example from recent memory, and prices of 14/1 about Amazing Maria make a deal of appeal to complement 10/1 on Miss France.
Finally at a much bigger price Betimes from the John Gosden stable attracts my interest at 33/1. She is Gosden's only entry in the race and William Buick is riding, this is a trainer who rarely tries to call his ducks swans and who knows how good this filly could be off the back of one start. An easy winner of a 7f maiden at Lingfield in December she hasn't been seen since but at 33/1 the price is big enough to nibble on in the hope that Gosden knows he has a really smart one on his hands here.

1000 Guineas Selections

Main Selections Miss France and Amazing Maria
Outsider at a fancy price Betimes

Thanks for reading!

The first Classic races of the Flat season - 2000 Guineas Ante-post

This weekend sees the first two Classic races of the 2014 Flat Racing Season at Newmarket when the Cambridgeshire venue holds the 2000 and 1000 Guineas. Both races are run over the mile of the Newmarket straight, with it's famous dip that throws many a horse out of it's stride, and the 2000 Guineas forms the first part of the rarely attempted (in recent times anyway) Triple Crown along with the Derby and the St Leger. For those that cast racing as a sports stuck in the dark ages this is actually an example of the sport throwing itself at the forefront of modernism as both races are run for equal prize money. This year see's both the 1000 and 2000 Guineas market's headed by a hot favourite, although Rizeena heading the fillies market is not quite as short as Kingman. In this blog I'll take a look firstly at the 2000 Guineas before looking at the fillies race later in the week.


2000 Guineas

After his red-hot display in the Greenham stakes at Newbury over 7f Kingman heads the market for the first Classic of the season at even money, horrendously short considering he was a 3/1 shot in the aftermath of that race and without doing anything else has shortened 2 points in the market! Ok his case is obvious; he is unbeaten thus far in his career, has all important course form having won here on his debut, his trainer John Gosden has started this season in flying form and he was tremendously pleasing on the eye on his re-appearance, leaving no doubts as to whether he had trained on from his 2 year old career. The only slight doubt is the trip, as all his racing so far has been done over 7f although the way he was going away LTO wouldn't hint at an stamina doubts. However you can be sure that the 2000 Guineas will be run at a furious pace so if Kingman is to win this he will certainly need to prove his stamina on the 3rd May.
Australia is 2nd in at the prices and master trainer Aidan O'Brien is sending his charge to Newmarket without the benefit of a prep run. Given the horses he has present in his stable O'Brien could have gallop sessions with as much strength in depth as many Grade 1 races run on the racecourse so I don't think that should be seen as a negative. Encouragingly Australia has proved he stays the trip, with a win last time out over the highly-thought of Free Eagle from the Weld stable and he isn't as reliant on the ground having a bit of give in it as the market leader. There is the possibility that Kingman won't run if the ground is too quick which would make the current price on Australia look huge but I actually would rather be on his stablemate War Command if O'Brien sent him to Newmarket. There has been a deal of talk about War Command going over the channel to contest the French equivalent of this race, which would explain his price, however those plans are not set in stone and if he was to appear at Newmarket next weekend he would warrant huge consideration. Winner of the Dewhurt stakes here last season to add to his 6 length win in the Coventry stakes, one of the biggest 2 year old races of the season, makes the form of War Command some of the best in the race. The uncertainty over his target invalidates him as an Ante-post punt really but if he turns up on the day I'd advise backing him.
Other horses towards the head of the market include Kingston Hill, however the form of his Racing Post Trophy win took a hit the other day with the 2nd out of that race Johann Strauss being thrashed on his reappearance. The Great Gatsby, further back in the field that day, gave another Guineas hopeful Toormore a bit of a scare at Newmarket last week so it's not worthless form by any means and Kingston Hill will definitely get the mile trip, indeed he is due to step up in trip after the Guineas so if they do go a good gallop that will suit Varian's charge down to the ground.
The aforementioned Toormore, the Champion 2 year old of the 2012-13 season, is as big as 7/1 for this race, a very big price in my opinion and he is certainly my pick of the market principles. He did nothing wrong on his reappearance in the Craven stakes, winning although not in the visually impressive manner that Kingman won his trial in. However Toormore isn't a flashy horse according to his trainer and only really does enough in victory so was never going to blow the field away by 10 lengths. He has some very good form in the book, including his course and distance win here last time out, stamina for the trip is assured and he will have Richard Hughes on board, one of the best jockeys in the weighing room. Toormore goes on a variety of ground, no such concerns about fast ground for this one, so its safe to say barring injury Toormore will definitely give you a run for your money if you got involved ante-post. 7/1 is a more than fair price and I can't believe he will be allowed to go off at this price on the day - he is the advised bet of the market principles.

Further out in the market we have a bit of Latino flair in the shape of the Spanish trained Noozhoh Canaries although I can't profess to knowing too much about this horse! His trainer says this horse must have a good strong gallop to be seen at his best, which the Guineas should give him, but thats about all I can tell you. He was very visually impressive in routing the field in a conditions race in Spain on his last start but I don't know what that form amounts too and he has been pricewised so this current price will have that factored into it. Outstrip, a winner at the Breeders cup last year, comes here without a prep run this season. However Godolphin have sent their 3 year olds into Classics with no prep run many a time before so that isn't a concern; more of a concern is the fact he patently didn't handle the track last time he ran here. He completely lost his action coming into the dip and I'd be very wary of backing the Appelby trained horse on the back of that. Night of Thunder was 2nd to Kingman in the Greenham, although a clear best of the rest, while Berkshire was a big disappointment in that race but could benefit from the step back up to a mile and he has form at Newmarket. He was pulling way too hard in the Greenham and never gave himself a chance, but that could have been freshness and any repetition of his very smart 2 year old form would make his current price of 40/1 seem massive. He is probably overpriced and bookies may have overreacted to his re-appearance run, prior to that he was around a 12/1 shot which is a truer reflection of his ability. He isn't certain to line up on the 3rd May but if he does I would advise taking a good look at Paul Cole's horse. Not a flashy name like O'Brien, Hannon, Gosden etc he could slip under the radar and go off a much bigger price than his form suggest he should.

2000 Guineas Selections

Head of the market - Toormore
Outsiders - Berkshire
If he turns up on the day - War Command

The finale of the British Jumps Season - Sandown on Saturday

It's been a great season with new faces on the jockey circuit, new horses crowned Champions, Paul Nicholls comfortably regaining his trainers title but same old AP McCoy; always winning and once again this Saturday will see 'The Champ' officially crowned Champion Jump Jockey for the 19th consecutive season. 19 years in a row this man has ridden more winners over obstacles than any other - what an incredible feat and one I doubt will ever be beaten. It's a decent card at Sandown to bring the curtain down on the season, with the big betting race being the Bet365 Gold Cup and I've had a look at the card for some late opportunities to try and line our pockets.

2.05 Juvenile Hurdle

Baradai is the selection here and I'm really keen on him. Venetia William's horse was running a really good race at the end of the Fred Winter at Cheltenham and could well have finished closer to the winner had he got going sooner. However he was going really well at the end of that race and, although a faller LTO at Aintree, that will ensure he comes here fresher than he would have had he finished that race. Proven on soft going he can make up for his fall at Aintree and help Aiden Coleman get even closer to a century of winners this season.

3.15 Celebration Chase

This really should see Gary Moore's admirable Champion Chaser Sire De Grugy crown a great season with victory here, although he is a very short price. I feel that until we see him take on Sprinter Sacre he won't get the credit he deserves for his victories but hopefully that will come next season. Pepite Rose will be loving the forecast rain and gets a mares allowance, she could chase SDG home.


3.50 Bet365 Gold Cup

There are quite a few horses lining up here on the back of runs in the Grand National at Aintree earlier this month; Burton Port (Unseated at the 2nd fence, of interest here on the basis of his Newbury return to form) and Rose of the Moon (got as far as the 26th fence and also burst, line safely through this one) are two such horses and Burton Port actually makes quite a bit of appeal. He was fancied for the Aintree showpiece and having unshipped his jockey so early into that contest should come here a fairly fresh horse. Prior to that he had shown signs of a return to form when tried in cheekpeices at Newbury and if those tactics can work again here he could go well. Will stay this trip as well which, in a race where so many won't, will hold him in good stead. For example Bury Parade and Bally Legend come here with form tying together from a big handicap at Kenpton. However both their form has come over shorter trips and Sandown, a stiff track anyway, will present a thorough test of stamina over this 3 m 5 f trip.
Carruthers would be an extremely popular winner and he certainly won't be found wanting for stamina. While he did contest the Grand National he goes down as one who unshipped his rider early on in the Grand National so that shouldn't have taken much out of him here. There are a few reasons why I like this popular chaser; his front-running, bold style could well see Sandown bring out the best in the old 12 year old, he won't be inconvenienced by soft conditions and is well versed in winning big handicaps having taken the Hennessy in his time. I think the veteran is worth a nibble at 20/1.
I did really fancy Godsmejudge in the Scottish Grand National, however I think this run could come too soon on the back of that really good 2nd place and he is passed over here so for my final selection (to go with Carruthers)we head to Ardkilly Witness. This horse has been aimed at this race for a while by Grand National winning trainer Dr Richard Newland and comes into this on a very nice weight of 10-4. He looks to have a very good chance; he has good recent form and jumps round the tricky Railway fences very well judged on previous evidence. At 10/1 he hasn't been missed in the market but I do feel he holds a really good chance and I'd take him of those at the head of the market.

Those are my main fancies for the concluding card of the National Hunt season. Punchestown is on the horizon for all the jumps enthusiasts and looks like being a cracking festival as always. However after this I'm going to start focusing on the flat, especially with the Guineas only a week away. And on the flat front I think it's worth checking out Amralah in the 7.35 at Doncaster tomorrow; Will Buick makes the journey up to Town Moor for just the one ride and I doubt he is doing it without being assured this one has a very good chance. At 6/1 in a 16 runner field a place is the very least the talented and in form jockey will be hoping for.

Thanks again for reading!

Bank Holiday Action at Fairyhouse

A Quick Look Back

Just a quick look back firstly on a cracking Good Friday, judging by the turnout with over 8,000 in attendance at Lingfield it was greatly appreciated by the paying public and I'm sure jockeys are more keen on turning out in front of big crowds for decent pots as opposed to the standard midweek fare. One of the arguments against Good Friday racing was that it wouldn't give the jockey's a break, however if George Baker's opinion is a fair representation of the weighing room then it would seem they love it as he was really positive in an interview I heard him give to Timeform Radio. It's not as if shops and the like are remaining closed at Easter any longer, society has changed and it is welcome to see racing change with it for once! This is a great opportunity to get people watching our sport with the double Bank Holiday and we saw a really good card at Lingfield. Grandeur was an impressive winner of the finale, after hearing Noseda post-race I can't believe I bothered trying to oppose him but our selection was a good 2nd at 7/1. I was pleased to bag the winner of the Apprentice race for the blog in addition to Ertijaal who deserves to line up for the 2000 Guineas after a couple of good successes over winter now. The crowd were even treated to an Adam Kirby trademark ride as he stormed to victory on board Living the Life in the mares race, off a slow pace he produced his classic kick off bend into the home straight to win by 3 and 1/2 lengths, justifying the trainers decision to replace the stable jockey with Kirby. Overall the day was a great success and I hope the series can use this as a platform to build on going into the 2014/2015 season.



After a quieter weekend than usual we get some cracking action back over the Irish sea at their Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse on Bank Holiday Monday. I really enjoy this card but I must warn you, like the English Grand National I have a terrible record of picking the winner! This year the feature race at 5.00pm doesn't look easy to call by any stretch of the imagination but I'll try my best and I'll check out some of the supporting races as well.

2.45 Tayto Hurdle

Unbeaten on Irish Soil Kitten Rock lines up here in the capable hands of Barry Geraghty, trainer Edward O'Grady deciding to miss the major festivals so far this season in order to be kept fresh for this task. He faces a few rivals who have been to the well more often than he this season, including Ivan Grozny, Gerdago and likely favorite Clarcam who were all well beaten in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham (or in the case of Clarcam a faller when admittedly travelling well) and Lindenhurst and Plinth, both well behind Tiger Roll in the Triumph Hurdle. It concerns me slightly that Fairyhouse could well be an afterthought for connections of these young, less-battle hardened horses, after all Cheltenham takes a huge deal out of a horse. Clarcam will head the market after running a really good 2nd to Guitar Pete at Aintree, however with two back to back festival races the fresher Kitten Rock can maintain his unbeaten record on Irish soil in the opener on Monday.

3.15 Keelings Irish Strawberry Hurdle

This Grade 2 race has some Cheltenham form with Get Me Out Of Here coming over from England after finishing behind Whisper at Cheltenham, the winner having franked that form well since. GMOOH is 2nd top on official ratings behind Thousand Stars, although I'm not too convinced a step back in trip is what the Mullins horse wants at this stage of his career and do prefer the chances of Jonjo O'Neil's charge here. GMOOH also finished closer to Whisper than Thousand Stars could so on a line through that horse should be up to beating TS here. Mourad, wearing blinkers for the first time, has been pretty disappointing this season but one at the other end of the age-scale is Un Beau Matin for Gordon Elliott who has been coming along OK this season and enters this race off the back of a win last time out. However he didn't beat much that day and has previously been seen off by the likes of Dunguib, Zaidpour and City Slicker this season, and don't think he is up to winning this. Interestingly Wingtips lines up here off the back of a 4 month break and with a first time tongue-tie on, an indication of a possible breathing operation or at the least a slight tweak and any market support for this fellow could be worth watching for. Upsie is of interest receiving weight from the field , however I think Barry Geraghty can prove an extremely able deputy in the place of the suspended AP McCoy and take this on board Get Me Out Of Here.

5.00 Irish Grand National

Cantlow heads the weights for this 3 mile 5 furlong chase and would make for a hugely popular winner with Andrew McNamara on top. I thought Shutthefrontdoor would run far better than he eventually did at Cheltenham after news of his breathing operation broke, however he didn't jump that well there and it may be that he will benefit from the assistance of a professional jockey on board to help him over his obstacles and is certainly not one to rule out. The drying ground will be in his favour. If Sraid Padraig jumps better than he did at Cheltenham he is also in with a big should, he absolutely ploughed through everything that day and still didn't disgrace himself; down a few lbs in the weights an improved round of jumping could see him in with a chance as well.
Looking at the market leaders, one massive stat we must bear in mind is that each of the last 11 winners did so carrying a weight of 10-12 or less which would just about rule out the aforementioned Shutthefrontdoor (4th fav at the time of writing) as well as the likes of Home Farm(2nd fav), Oscars Well and Cause of Clauses. We've seen a few go in at big prices in recent years so don't let market position put you off whatever you fancy.
A few more I do like and for whom a case can certainly be made for; Pendra, who ran well at Cheltenham to finish 3rd and the step up in trip may find some improvement. Goonyella, his trainer and their family have a wonderful record in this race although I would need to see the rain come with the ground currently good and apparently drying all the time. Daring Article, for whom the drying ground will massively be in his favor and for he won't be worried by the large field as he has plenty of big-field handicap experience. Finally Tammys Hill, a winner of the Foxhunters at Cheltenham who looks to be on a decent mark, however he hasn't been missed in the market and could go off favorite.
I'm going to side with the Jonjo O'Neil trainer Alfie Sherrin as my main selection here. A good third in this race two years ago he has now dropped by 7lbs in the weights since then. Sent of favorite for a handicap at the Cheltenham festival he could only finish 7th but the form of that race is working out very well with the first and 2nd coming out and winning since. Alfie Sherrin hasn't been running badly by any means in the last couple of years, with a couple of 4th places finishes in big handicaps to his name, and with a further ease in the weights, at a course he goes well at, he can take this at a juicy price - 25/1 at the time of writing. Others I would have an e/w nibble on would be Daring Article if the ground keeps drying, Goonyella if the rains come and Pendra who could still be on a really good mark as his trainer was putting him up as his best chance of the Cheltenham festival upon hearing his handicap mark for the Coral Cup.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the racing this Bank Holiday Monday, there's certainly plenty of it!

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.