Matt Brocklebank underlines some of the Easter weekend highlights to come on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Chancellor to have Finals say?
All-Weather Championships Finals Day – Europe’s richest all-weather raceday – returns to Newcastle for a fifth year on Good Friday (April 3) and there’s a quality feel to the feature BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap.
The French horse No Lunch has won his last five and could be the one to beat if sent over by Christophe Ferland and the Wertheimer team, but otherwise it looks a gilt-edged opportunity for Chancellor to return to winning ways.
John and Thady Gosden opted against Saturday’s Doncaster Mile with the son of Kingman, who has shown improved form on synthetic surfaces since being gelded (also underwent a breathing operation) last year. He’s from excellent stock, his dam Queen’s Trust having won at the Breeders’ Cup, and he’s almost certainly worth another chance at this level - at least - after just failing to land the odds in last month’s Winter Derby at Lingfield.
There are five other competitive handicaps on the Gosforth Park card, while the meeting kicks off with the Listed BetMGM Burradon Stakes, in which Classic-entered, C&D novice winner Billecart puts his credentials on the line for trainer Karl Burke and owners Amo Racing.
Good Friday news for Irish fans
There’s free entry at the Curragh as history is made with racing on Good Friday for the very first time in Ireland.
Popular old boys Layfayette and Coeur d’Or are among the early entries for the 10-furlong 1xBet Emerald Cup Handicap, but the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Park Express Stakes is the main draw on the card and could see the return of Faiyum.
Juddmonte’s Frankel filly bumped into the top-class Barnavara when second at Naas last summer but has won her three other outings including a commanding all-the-way victory in Gowran’s Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes when last seen in September.
Ger Lyons’ runner looks destined for big things this time around at four and also holds an entry in the Tattersalls Gold Cup towards the end of May, which may be a decent pointer in itself.
Mullins ready to Fire
It’s a typically low-key bank holiday weekend programme in Britain this Saturday but Musselburgh’s Virgin Bet Daily Price Boost Queen’s Cup Handicap and the Virgin Bet Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap have both served as decent stepping-stones for high-level handicappers in recent seasons, and a similar story can be expected.
The Pertemps Network Challenger Series handicap hurdle finals are held at Haydock, but the RYBO Handicap Hurdle will be the strongest race of its type on the day as the three-day Easter Festival gets under way at Fairyhouse.
Title-hungry Willie Mullins has 15 of the 35 initial entries for the near-€60,000 Listed contest, including Karbau and Too Bossy For Us, sixth in the County Hurdle and Sky Bet Supreme at the Cheltenham Festival respectively. He’s also got Martin Pipe also-ran Roc Dino back down to two miles, while the 20-length Carlisle maiden winner He’s On Fire steps along the handicap route for the first time with an opening mark of 138.
He’s On Fire’s owner Rich Ricci teamed up with Mullins to win this event two years in succession with Thomas Hobson and Low Sun in 2017 and 2018, while their only subsequent runner in the race, Horantzau d’Airy, was third at a big price two years ago.
The Fairyhouse quality goes up a few notches on Sunday with a couple of Grade 1 races for novices.
First up, a trainers’ championship mini-battle as Bambino Fever and Oldschool Outlaw renew their rivalry in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle. The former looked ill-at-ease on good ground in the Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle but wasn't unduly punished late on and that may just pay dividends back on home soil.
That's all before the WillowWarm Gold C, featuring big British hope Sixmilebridge, who skipped the Jack Richards at Cheltenham on account of the drying ground.
Having saddled six of the past seven winners of this two and a half-mile Grade 1, Mullins is bound to have a say and could send out Final Demand along with early market leader Kappa Jy Pyke. A back-in-trip Koktail Divin adds further intrigue for the Henry De Bromhead yard, while Jimmy Mangan’s Pure Steel looked right back on song when beating subsequent Grand Annual third Break My Soul by 12 lengths at Punchestown last month and, if building on that effort, he might be one to surprise the better-fancied runners.
On Easter Monday it’s all about the BOYLE Sports Irish Grand National Chase with Nicky Henderson’s mare Holloway Queen and Ben Pauling’s progressive Reynoldstown winner The Jukebox Kid flying the flag for the visitors.
Argento Boy, Kiss Will and C’Est Ta Chance look three of the likelier types for Mullins, with Elliott not exactly pinning his hopes but clearly still holding a torch for last year’s sixth Better Days Ahead, who has had his campaign geared around the Fairyhouse feature this term.
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