Fast-Track Qualifier scorers headline strong cast for Finals Day, with bumper entries for Good Friday fixtures at Bath and Lingfield Park.
Impressive Fast-Track Qualifier winners Berkshire Shadow, Loubeisien and Queen Aminatu headline the entries for Europe’s richest all-weather card, All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle on Good Friday, April 7.
Both of ARC’s other Good Friday meetings have also been well supported. The All-Weather Vase at Lingfield Park, with total prize money of £395,000 across the seven races, has attracted 173 entries, while Bath’s £200,000 fixture has received a remarkable 408 entries.
Berkshire Shadow, who captured the G2 Coventry Stakes as a juvenile, heads nine contenders for the Spreadex All-Weather Mile Championships at Newcastle. Andrew Balding’s four-year-old looked back to his best when defeating dual G1 scorer Angel Bleu in the Listed Spreadex Sports Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton last month.
Stan Moore has high hopes for his stable star The Wizard Of Eye, who has been freshened up since an impressive pillar-to-post success in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Hyde Stakes in November.
The Wizard Of Eye was not winning out of turn after several solid efforts in Pattern company, including a close second in the G3 Thoroughbred Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Moore said: “The Wizard Of Eye is in great form. We decided to freshen him up after Kempton as he had a big campaign last year. He started off in the Saudi Derby last February and had not had a proper break. He is a huge horse – he is 17.3hh – and the time off has done him good.
“The cheekpieces helped him concentrate at Kempton and Timeform had him running to a big figure. The way he won could have made you think that he wasn’t beating much but the other horses were rated 107 or 108.
“He is a pretty decent horse and I think he could be a force to be reckoned with this year now that he has matured. He was only doing what he was doing through raw ability.
“Given his rating, he should be one of the leading contenders at Newcastle. We are in it to win it and he is as ready as you can be without having a race. I don’t think the track should be a bother to him and I would expect a big run.”
There is likely to be Irish representation in the Spreadex All-Weather Mile Championships, with last year’s runner-up San Andreas engaged again for Joseph O’Brien.
Chichester is likely to be a leading player for Keith Dalgleish, judged on his easy Fast-Track Qualifier victory over the course and distance in January, while Clive Cox is responsible for in-form G3 scorer Positive.
French challenger Loubeisien (Christophe Ferland) features among a strong cast for the BetUK All-Weather Sprint Championships, having taken the Prix Anabaa at Chantilly last month.
Fellow Fast-Track Qualifier winners Annaf (Mick Appleby) and Summerghand (David O’Meara) are also entered, with the latter aiming to emulate Alben Star as a dual winner of the six-furlong contest.
Prolific Irish sprinter Harry’s Bar could line up for Ado McGuinness, while 2021 All-Weather Three-Year-Old Championships victor Diligent Harry (Clive Cox) has the opportunity to become the first horse to win two different races on Finals Day.
William Haggas’ Queen Aminatu sets the standard in the talkSPORT All-Weather Fillies’ & Mares’ Championships, following two dominant Listed wins at Lingfield Park and Deauville.
The 11 entries also include the Roger Varian-trained Manaafith, who made it six from six on the all-weather in the Listed Tandridge Stakes at Lingfield Park in February. G3 scorer Vadream (Charlie Fellowes) and the consistent Aramis Grey (Rae Guest) are also engaged.
John & Thady Gosden have a strong hand in the BetUK Easter Classic as the stable looks for its first Finals Day win, with 2021 G3 Winter Derby victor Forest Of Dean and Harrovian in the middle-distance highlight.
Irish raider Freescape (David Marnane) could line up after running behind some of Godolphin’s leading lights in Dubai, while the much-improved Zealot (Mick Appleby) has earned a crack at this after winning seven of his last eight starts.
Listed scorers Perdika (George Boughey) and Shouldvebeenaring (Richard Hannon) head 13 entries for the talkSPORT All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships, won last year by subsequent G2 victor El Caballo.
Julie Camacho’s Shaquille is another name to note after winning three of his four starts, including a Fast-Track Qualifier at Wolverhampton, while James Tate could saddle Listed Spring Cup runner-up New Definition.
2020 G1 St Leger runner-up Berkshire Rocco (Andrew Balding) and defending champion Earlofthecotswolds (Nigel Twiston-Davies) are the standard bearers in the BetUK All-Weather Marathon Championships.
There are likely to be Classic contenders on show in the Listed talkSPORT Burradon Stakes, with last-time-out winners Arabian Storm, Flight Plan, Galeron, Majestic Pride and Obelix all entered in the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas.
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