All Weather Championship Finals Day - Lingfield Park Racecourse; Good Friday 2nd April 2021

8th All Weather Championship Finals Day

Lingfield Park Racecourse
Good Friday 2nd April 2021

With a £1million total prize fund offered across six racing categories, the AW Championships finals day is the richest all-weather race card staged in Europe, and one of the overall richest race days in the UK. Meaning it is one of the most thrilling race days, whether you are participating as a jockey, owner or trainer, or are cheering on from home since racing this year will continue behind closed doors for the time being.

There are SIX categories for the 2021 All Weather Championship;

• 3 Year Olds
• Fillies and Mares
• Sprinters
• Mile
• Middle Distance
• Stayers

Alongside the races themselves there are also "All Stars" rankings which showcase the Owners, Trainers, Jockeys and Horses at the top of their respective category, with prize money up for grabs at the end of the season;

• Champion AW Jockey - Richard Kingscote.
• Champion AW Apprentice - Marco Ghiani.
• Champion Trainer - Michael Appleby.
• Champion Owner - Godolphin.
• Winning Most Horse - Nortonthorpe Boy.

A link to today's race card can be found 'here'

Racing will commence at 14:00 with the Marathon Championships over a trip of just under two miles. We should end the card around 17:15 with the Apprentice Championship race over seven furlongs. 

14:00  Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes
1m 7f 169y  [Class 2  7 runners]
Opening with a stayers contest where RAINBOW DREAMER has the highest official rating here of 110 and Alan King does well with his stayers on the flat so far winning four in a row on the all weather earlier in the year and ought to be primed to succeed today.  The 4yo AMTIYAZ gets a couple of pounds off his elders don't see too many stayers from Frankel but has ability with three wins from his seven AW runs in total. The John Gosden yard already amongst the winners this season and Hollie Doyle a good booking.

Result - (5) Ranch Hand @7/2 [James Doyle].

14:35  Ladbrokes All-Weather Fillies' And Mares' Championships Conditions Stakes 
7f 1y  [Class 2  6 runners]
A small field of six for the Fillies and Mares final, INDIE ANGEL looks a good thing today for the John Gosden yeard and runs in the colours of the Cheveley Park Stud. Is rated superior to these I suppose the only question mark is a lack of a recent run but did win at this track when last seen. 

If there is to be a surprise it could come from PHOLAS [WON @25/1] at a big price, stepping up in class considerably but the small field might play to her strengths and was a clear cut winner at Newcastle last time I think she might out run her odds here. Well done Hollie you star!!

Result - (5) Pholas @25/1 [Hollie Doyle].

15:10  Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes
6f 1y  [Class 2  12 runners]
Progressive recently including a listed win over this course and trip EXALTED ANGEL [2nd 15/2] is high amongst the selections for this sprint. Has regularly run against Venturous who is once more in the line up, while beaten by that one over 5f the extra furlong is expected to benefit Exalted Angel more today.

Another regular winner HARRY'S BAR was tried over in Saudi Arabia after a series of all weather wins and this is a more realistic proposition today. Likely to be a fast pace throughout and some luck in running up this relatively short straight will be necessary expect big changes in the final furlong.

Result - (9) Summerghand @6/1 [Adam Kirby].

15:45  Ladbrokes 3 Year Old All-Weather Championships Conditions Stakes 
6f 1y  [Class 2  10 runners]
Time for the three year old championship BRAVADO won his first three outings for Mark Johnston a mark of 93 means he might have a little to find with some but 18/1 suggests a decent each way option for this. While DILIGENT HARRY [WON @2/1] comes into this with a similar rating but a fraction of the price. Just the three contests so far, could be improving I suppose and it's that pair against the field with a place bet on Bravado too.

Result - (4) Diligent Harry @2/1f [Adam Kirby]

16:15  Betway Easter Classic All-Weather Middle Distance Championships Conditions Stakes
1m 2f  [Class 2  6 runners]
While the obvious favourite here is going to be Bangkok am going to take that on with the pair that include FOREST OF DEAN who is the closest to him on ratings, and won the Winter Derby here last month so clearly one to be very closely interested in. Godolphin runners always feared around this course, while Mark Johnston sends down SKY DEFENDER his 5yo is very experienced and tried to make all at Kempton last time, won around Epsom previously and in this small field could try to hold them all at bay a likely big odds.

Result - (2) Bangkok @5/6f [Silvestre de Sousa].

16:45  Bombardier All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes
1m 1y  [Class 2  10 runners]
Roger Varian's 5yo KHUZAAM has been very lightly raced and only seen three times since 2019, won a small race at Chelmsford on his reappearance this season and should be very close for the renowned blue and white racing silks of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum who sadly passed away last week. 

SILVER QUARTZ is a French raider and this Frankel colt winner of his last two runs would have to be feared, but still available about 12/1 and a place bet for us today. 4th

Result - (6) Khuzaam @6/4f [Jack Mitchell].

17:15  Bombardier All-Weather Championships Apprentice Handicap
7f 1y  [Class 2  14 runners]
Our final event on Championship day and AYR HARBOUR having won on all weather tracks at Chelmsford and most recently Southwell, does act on Lingfield's polytrack too. With the assistance of talented 7lb apprentice Benoit de la Sayette out to go close once more and take this. GABRIEL THE DEVIL is usually seen best around Chester and one to follow during the turf season there for sure, but has run well here in the past, has consistency and should be right there.

Long shot - CORAZON ESPINADO last six runs here, won a handicap in January by 5L and then moved up to class two company, hasn't been disgraced and at 25/1 could well outrun his odds here. Finished 5th 40/1 not a bad run for the odds.

Result - (1) Lord of the Lodge @5/1 [Pierre-Louis Jamin].

Results for this meeting will be updated during the course of the afternoon, our first meeting of the new flat season at Pontefract will come next on 6th April after which attention will be back on the NH meeting at Aintree on Saturday 10th April for the 173rd Grand National which we will naturally be following here.