John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Friday.
Balding looking to Strike again in three-year-old contest
‘Hot Trainer’ Andew Balding, the leading trainer in this season’s All-Weather Championship, takes another strong team up to Newcastle for All-Weather Finals Day, a track where he has an impressive 40% strike rate (8 wins from 20 runners) since the start of the year. Balding has also won the last three renewals of the 3 Year Old Championships Handicap (13:50) and has another strong candidate for the six-furlong contest again this year in Silent Strike.
Silent Strike has a similar profile to last year’s winner Berkshire Whisper in that he’s making his handicap debut after progressing rapidly in his first three starts. He didn’t make his debut until January when runner-up at Lingfield, his inexperience holding him back, but he was backed as if defeat was out of the question in another maiden at Kempton the following month and had clearly learned plenty, making all to win comfortably. He then put up a useful effort conceding 7 lb to promising filly Soul Love when beaten half a length in a novice over today’s course and distance last time, looking the type to go on improving.
Silent Strike isn’t the only progressive type in the field, with ‘Horse In Focus’ Al Najashi, unbeaten in four handicaps this year, also respected, but Silent Strike just heads him in the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings and can win this again for his stable.
Blue RC looks best in Mile
The All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap (15:00) looks as good a race as any on the card with the weights headed by the smart gelding Chancellor, rated 118 by Timeform and with a BHA mark of 109. He was beaten only a neck when stepping up in trip for the Winter Derby last time and has cheekpieces on now back in a handicap. He won a listed race at Southwell in February at this trip when having Tyrrhenian Sea and Witch Hunter in the frame behind him, that pair being the next two in the weights here.
Balding and Oisin Murphy have a leading contender again here with The Lost King, but preference is for another thriving four-year-old, Blue RC. He made a winning debut for James Tate on the all-weather at Chelmsford just over a year ago and went on to win turf handicaps in the summer at Thirsk and Yarmouth. But he progressed further later in the year back on the all-weather, finishing second at Kempton and then at Chelmsford where he looked unlucky not to win.
Blue RC duly made amends next time, and in good style, seeing off in-form rival Two Tempting with something up his sleeve when successful at Southwell on New Year’s Day, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. That was a smart effort to beat a rival who was third in Chancellor’s race next time and, kept fresh since, he’s very much of interest here.
Easter Classic can have a Regal winner
The Easter Classic (16:10) over a mile and a quarter is another race on the card which Balding has won more than once before and he fields two runners in a bid to win it again, with Murphy’s mount Regal Ulixes making more appeal that Teumessias Fox.
The lightly-raced four-year-old was having his first start since Royal Ascot last year when well backed for his return over course and distance in January but pulled too hard with his hood left off. But with the headgear back on, he settled much better when winning a trial for this contest at Lingfield in February, running out a ready winner by a length and a half from the Cesarewitch winner Beylerbeyi who runs later on the card.
His trainer then had to turn out Regal Ulixes quickly to give him a third qualifying run for this contest and, in the circumstances, he didn’t run badly in the Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton just eight days later. Making late headway into sixth in a race won by stablemate The Lost King, Regal Ulixes was caught further back than ideal, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. The extended mile was on the sharp side for him there, and he’s sure to be suited by the return to his optimum trip.
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