All-Weather Champions Finals Day: Newcastle Friday review

Legend claims Classic win

Living Legend rallied in the dying strides to deny favourite Tyrrhenian Sea in the Betway Easter Classic All-Weather Middle Distance Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle.

All eyes were on Roger Varian’s 10-11 market leader after he won each of his first three starts on the all-weather before coming home a luckless fourth last time out when stepped up to 10 furlongs.

Kept at that trip for this richly-endowed contest, Tyrrhenian Sea was settled in fourth by Andrea Atzeni as Joe Fanning set just a steady pace up front on Living Legend (7-1)

It looked as though it was just a matter of when Atzeni gave the signal at Tyrrhenian Sea travelled powerfully into the straight, just as Fanning started to get to work on the long-time leader.

Tyrrhenian Sea duly took it up inside the final two furlongs, eventually moving a length clear inside the distance – but his stride began to shorten as Living Legend dug deep, eventually coming home half a length to the good.

Living Legend had some decent form in his younger days but Johnston explained a long-term injury had seen him sidelined for well over two years.

He said: “He had a bowed tendon and had to have two years off. They say they’re never the same again, but obviously time is the crucial thing and we gave him plenty of it – he was off for 841 days. The owners (Barbara and Alick Richmond) gave him to us and he came back sound, so we brought him back and raced him in our name. Then he won a race so we gave him back to the owners.

“I don’t know where we’ll go from here. We’ll take it one race at a time and we have no specific plan. Joe always used to say this horse is better at a mile and a quarter with a good pace, but he’s come in today and said ‘you could run him at any trip’.

“Joe said he wasn’t doing a stroke in front. He said he saw the other come past him and thought ‘I haven’t even started yet’! I have always thought a mile and a quarter is his best trip.”

Another big win for Princess

Highfield Princess added another high-profile success to her record as she lifted the Coral All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes.

Winner of the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last year, John Quinn’ charge also hit the target at Listed level but had been out of luck since then, posting some fine efforts in defeat – most notably when second to Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Space Blues at York in August.

Beaten in three prep runs this year, her supporters kept the faith, sending her off the 15-8 joint-favourite with Internationalangel, and Highfield Princess repaid their confidence with a half-length verdict under Jason Hart.

While she slightly drifted across the track in the finish to the seven-furlong contest, she was always just holding her market rival, with the pair pulling five lengths clear of Rising Star in third.

Sean Quinn, the trainer’s son and assistant, said: “She’s been a good mare and I’d say she’s every bit as good as she’s ever been. It’s great because this was the plan. We brought her back a little bit earlier to try to target this race, just because of the excellent prize-money. To win it is fantastic and that will set us up nicely for a grass season, hopefully.

“I know dad was thinking about coming back to six (furlongs) for the Duke of York Stakes and there is also a fillies’ Listed race over six on Guineas day (at Newmarket), so we’ve plenty of options and we’ll try to find a bit more black type now. It would be great to go back to Royal Ascot with her. There’s no seven-furlong race so it would probably have to be the (Platinum) Jubilee (Stakes).”

Flat delight for Twiston-Davies

Earlofthecotswolds made every yard of the running to lift the Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes – sparking jubilant scenes among winning connections.

Trained by Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National-winning handler Nigel Twiston-Davies, Earlofthecotswolds was a dual hurdles winner at the end of last year but has been cutting a swathe through the all-weather ranks in 2022, winning two of his four starts before this event.

Sent to the lead from the off by Liam Keniry, Earlofthecotswolds had to dig deep in the straight as his fellow 100-30 joint-favourite Marshall Plan came with a late challenge under Frankie Dettori.

Try as he might, the runner-up just could not get past the winner, who showed guts aplenty to win by a neck, adding an 11th career success, having struck on the Flat, in bumper company, plus over fences and hurdles.

Twiston-Davies was accompanied by his sons Sam and Willie, with the former enjoying a day off from the National Hunt action while the latter, who retired from riding in 2017, bought the horse as a three-year-old as part of his new career as a bloodstock agent.

Twiston-Davies senior said: “It’s very much down to Willie. When the ground turned a little bit soft, Willie said ‘let’s try him on the Flat’, and then he came up with this all-weather thing! He’s quite an ordinary 130-odd rated jumper and he’s turned out to be a horse who has won all this money on the Flat – it’s unbelievable. We don’t expect this, but to come and beat all the posh people is nice! I think we’ll look towards Royal Ascot. There’s the Queen Alexandra Stakes, or even the Gold Cup – why not? We’ve got to look at it.”

A tearful Willy Twiston-Davies added: “I’m so proud. Ged Mason owns him along with my two best friends, who I met in Las Vegas five years ago to the day. I said last year after he got injured at Aintree that we needed to go on the Flat as he loves the all-weather and won a jumpers’ bumper. Honestly I never cry – I’m the most hard-nosed man ever, but I’m crying today."

Caballo in Commonwealth Cup frame

El Caballo managed to fend off the late thrust of Tiber Flow and oblige favourite-backers in the Coral 3 Year Old All-Weather Championships Conditions Stakes.

Sent off the well-backed 13/8 market leader for trainer Karl Burke and jockey Clifford Lee, El Caballo arrived unbeaten in three all-weather starts, but he had to pull out all the stops to maintain that perfect record. El Caballo made all in his last two victories and Lee was keen to control the race from the front again, but Hollie Doyle also wanted to dictate matters aboard Space Cowboy, with the pair racing together all the way into the last of the six furlongs.

Lee kicked for home at that point and it looked as though El Caballo – whose only defeat came on debut to the smart Armor – would comfortably prevail, but Tiber Flow was hitting his top stride in behind for Tom Marquand and catching the leader with every stride. But the post came too soon for him and El Caballo hung on to victory by a short head, with Space Cowboy a further three and a quarter lengths back in third.

Paddy Power go 25/1 about El Caballo for the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot following his narrow verdict, and Burke would be eager to charter a path to the June highlight.

He said: “He’s a very good horse. I didn’t know if he was dossing in front or whether that was him, but Cliff (Lee) thinks he’s definitely better over the seven (furlongs). We’ll give him an easy two weeks and see, but I’d still be tempted to try him in something like the Sandy Lane (at Haydock) and just see if we can turn him into a Commonwealth Cup horse. A stiff six at Ascot would be pretty good for him.

“He’s easy enough to deal with once he’s out and about. He can be a bit miserable in the box and will have a bite and a kick at you – he’s a proper colt. I do think he’s a genuine Group Three/Group Two horse, whether he’s better than that we’ll see. I know Maureen (Haggas) really likes the second and I think they’re two nice horses.”

French strike with Bouttemont

Bouttemont narrowly prevailed over Edraak and Spycatcher to win theBetway All-Weather Sprint Championships for France.

Gregory Benoist made a beeline towards the stands’ rail on 10/1 chance Bouttemont and the Yann Barberot-trained sprinter disputed fourth early on behind the pace-setting Lord Of The Lodge, Good Effort and Ejtilaab.

Bouttemont quickened well to press for the lead alongside Edraak as the front trio started to fade inside the final furlong, with Spycatcher also making good headway to challenge down the far-rail.

Bouttemont got the verdict by a short-head as all three flashed past the post together, with the same margin back to Spycatcher in third. Lord Of The Lodge kept on in fourth, another length further back.

Benoist said: “That was very close. My horse was in good form and we had a good trip. He felt easy behind the leaders and I had space; he was waiting behind the other horse but when I asked him to go, he has a big heart and gave everything.

“No, I wasn’t confident that I had won, but I thought I had either won or finished second. I have worked with Yann [Barberot] for three years now and it’s exciting to win lots of races for him.

“I won at this meeting when it was at Lingfield many years ago on Fresles in the Fillies’ & Mares’ race for Pia Brandt. I was a young man at that time – now I’m too old!”

Edraak’s trainer Mick Appleby said: “Mixed emotions! He’s run an absolute blinder, it’s a shame he just got collared. He’s run a great race and I’m really pleased with that.”

Oberon edges out San Andreas

My Oberon just edged out San Andreas in a thrilling finish to the All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle. Trained by William Haggas and partnered by Tom Marquand, My Oberon was last seen finishing sixth in the Dubai Turf last month and ultimately just about made his class tell as the 13-8 favourite.

However, it was not as easy a victory as expected, with My Oberon made to pull out all the stops by Joseph O’Brien’s Irish raider. Marquand settled him mount in behind as Tempus set the early gallop, with Dylan Browne McMonagle adopting a position on the stands side aboard San Andreas and taking over the lead at Tempus started to flag in the final two furlongs.

My Oberon appeared to be travelling well, with Marquand coming between the pair to challenge and grabbing the initiative.

But San Andreas proved game, getting back on terms with the pair locked in a duel to the line, with My Oberon just prevailing by a nose. Bless Him made notable progress after sitting last early on, eventually being beaten two and a quarter lengths in third. The first two got close in the finish, prompting a stewards’ inquiry, but the result stood.

Haggas’ wife, Maureen, said: “It was a worry coming back so quick after Dubai, but this race was worth a lot of money and you can’t pass up opportunities like this. He’s probably not the easiest to place, so when you get an opportunity like this to win money with a gelding, you can’t turn it down – we had to give it a go. He can have a little break now. I don’t know where he’ll go – William will work that one out.

“Whether it will make more sense dodging Royal Ascot and going somewhere a bit easier, I don’t know – that’s not my department! He’s tough and I think gelding has definitely helped him.”

Marquand said: “He gave me a moment of fright – I thought I’d go and win by half a length when I took him off the bridle, but he knows how much he has to do and won’t do much more. He’s won and has done really well to win as he’s had a busy month, being in Dubai, which takes its toll. It’s a great training performance to get him here today and get his head in front because it’s a tough one to judge sometimes when horses are travelling.”

Challenge in Guineas frame

Checkandchallenge may have earned himself a tilt at the QIPCO 2000 Guineas after maintaining his unbeaten record with an eyecatching victory in the Coral Burradon Stakes at Newcastle.

A narrow winner on his racecourse debut at Wolverhampton in November, William Knight’s colt faced a significant step up in class for this Listed contest and was priced up at 15/2 under Danny Tudhope.

Andrew Balding’s Imperial Fighter, runner-up in two Group Threes and not beaten far into fifth place in the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster last season, was the 7.4 favourite. But while the market leader was perhaps unfortunate not to make more of a race of it after encountering traffic problems, Checkandchallenge only had to pushed out hands and heels to win by a length and a half.

Winning owner Andrew Hetherton said: “William Knight and his team have done a smashing job and we’re looking forward to what comes next. As he did at Wolverhampton he came from the back to the front and won very convincingly.”

Betfair and Paddy Power cut Checkandchallenge to 33/1 from 100/1 for the season’s first Classic at Newmarket on April 30.

Hetherton added: “It (2000) Guineas was very realistic when I paid the entry fee! I think we’ll see what happens and I’m very much in William’s hands. Danny said he’s a good horse and I said to him ‘have a word with William if you want to ride him in the 2000 Guineas’. Let’s see how we go. Today was worth the trip up from Southampton. We stopped up in York on the way last night and we’re having a great day.”

Knight, who was not at Gosforth Park, said: “I was absolutely delighted and excited with the manner in which he’s done it, in what looked a competitive field. He had to go and win today to warrant a run in the Guineas and that’s still on the agenda. It looked like there was a bit left there, which there needs to be to be competitive in the Guineas.

“We’ve always liked him and we put a Guineas entry in earlier in the year so we obviously hold him in high regard. This was to see where we are and we’ve got to be at least thinking that way. There’s improvement still to come from him, it wasn’t all about today. The big challenge is he’s got to convert his all-weather form across to turf, but there’s no reason why he can’t. He did a nice bit of work on the grass gallops last week which pleased us and made us feel he was definitely above average – he had to prove it on the track, which he’s done today.”

More from Sporting Life

• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content