Andrew Asquith previews All-Weather Championships Final Day at Newcastle on Friday and has picked out four bets.
All-Weather Angle: Friday April 18
1pt win So Darn Hot in 1.50 Newcastle at 9/2 (bet365, Sky Bet)
2pts win Roi de France in 3.00 Newcastle at 9/2 (General)
1pt e.w. Power of Destiny in 4.07 Newcastle at 16/1 (1/5 1,2,3,4 General)
1pt win Plage de Havre in 4.42 Newcastle at 11/2 (General)
There is some excellent action on All-Weather Finals Day at Newcastle on Good Friday and there are plenty of horses on my radar.
I’m going to start in the BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap where I feel those drawn higher will be at an advantage. A high draw is often favoured on the straight course at Newcastle regardless, but there is also plenty of pace in the higher numbers, too.
That puts me in a bit of a predicament as I thought Leadenhall Street and Marchogion both hve big chances, but are drawn in stall 1 and 3, respectively. Leadenhall Street in particular looks fairly priced but he will have his work cut out from the lowest draw.
The draw has gone in favour of current favourite SO DARN HOT and his claims are hard to get away from. He has progressed at a rate of knots on the all-weather in recent months, hosing up over course and distance under Warren Fentiman in January, well suited by a return to six furlongs and coming through from the rear with a powerful run.
That was impressive, but I thought his victory at Lingfield last time was just as good if not better, as I didn’t think that sharp track would suit his run style. However, he had the race sewn up after making a sweeping move round the bend and was just kept up to his work to keep Carbine Harvester and Marchogion at bay.
The runner-up has boosted the form by winning since and So Darn Hot actually meets that rival on better terms now, so he’s weighted to uphold that form, and the track at Newcastle should also suit his run style better than that of Carbine Harvester.
WATCH: TOP 16 VERDICTS FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Furthermore, excellent claimer Fentiman is back in the saddle and takes off an invaluable 5lb, which effectively offsets his rise in the weights for his Lingfield success. This race will be run to suit and, from a favourable draw in stall 12, he looks a worthy favourite, and his current price looks fair enough to me all things considered.
Another horse who I’m finding hard to oppose at the head of the market is the John & Thady Gosden-trained ROI DE FRANCE in the BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap.
He was the subject of an ante-post gamble for the Cambridgeshire but the ground went against him and he was never able to show his true colours. However, he showed much more of what he’s about when winning a mile handicap at Kempton a couple of months later where he did especially well to beat the reopposing Popmaster by a short head having conceded first run after meeting some trouble in running.
Roi de France was getting 5lb from Popmaster on that occasion, but he upheld the form when again beating that rival in a Listed event (receiving 1lb) back at Kempton which was won by proven pattern-class performer Poker Face, who has since won a Group 2 at Meydan and finished runner-up to one of the highest rated horses in training Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta.
That race didn’t entirely go to plan for Roi de France, either, and the same can be said for his most recent run also at Kempton over seven furlongs. That was his first start for four months and a steady gallop over a shorter trip didn’t play to his strengths, while he also had to come from further back than a couple of course specialists who finished in front of him which included runner-up Local Hero (he again finished in front of Popmaster, too).
That run qualified him for a crack at this and should also have done him the world of good fitness-wise. This will be the first time Roi de France has visited Newcastle, and I’m sure he’s going to prove even better now switched to a straight mile on the all-weather given his strong-travelling style. He’s also landed a high draw, is surrounded by prominent racers and I’m finding him hard to look past.
The BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic Middle Distance Handicap looks a cracker and Glen Buck and Old Harrovian, who are first and second in the market, are sure to be popular.
Glen Buck beat Old Harrovian when the pair met at Southwell two starts back and both have won impressively since, particularly the latter who barely had to come off the bridle over this course and distance in January. He’s presumably been kept fresh for this since and has a slight pull at the weights with Glen Buck now.
There is a horse who interests me further down the list, though, and that is POWER OF DESTINY, who isn’t long with Ralph Beckett. She perhaps didn’t reach the heights expected when trained by Sir Michael Stoute, but she made a winning start for this yard at Kempton in November, and very much caught the eye on her latest start in the Winter Oaks at Lingfield in January.
That race was won by Charlotte’s Webb, who made most of the running from a wide draw, and Power of Destiny did especially well to finish as close as she did given she was asked to come from much further back.
She also made her challenge down the unfavoured inside in the straight, but finished her race to excellent effect, almost reeling in the winner who was all out at the line. That performance can be marked up further when taking sectionals into account as she was the only horse in the race to break 22 seconds in the last two furlongs and she was around 0.6 seconds quicker than Charlotte’s Webb over the same distance.
Charlotte’s Webb got an easy enough time of it on the front end that day, too, and Power of Destiny shaped like one who would have relished a strong pace to aim at, especially at a sharp track like Lingfield.
The switch to a more galloping track with a much stiffer finish is sure to suit her much better and I’m not sure why she’s around 6 points bigger in the betting than Charlotte’s Webb.
Indeed, she has a couple of potentially smart types to beat, but with most bookmakers offering at least four places, she looks an attractive each-way bet at around 14/1 or bigger.
The BetUK All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap closes the card at Newcastle on Good Friday and PLAGE DE HAVRE is a horse I want to remain positive about.
He has looked a much improved performer since moving up in trip and entering handicaps this season, first past the post on his return at Southwell only to lose the race in the stewards’ room having bumped the runner-up close home.
Plage de Havre travelled like much the best horse at the weights on that occasion, and confirmed himself a well-handicapped horse when defying a 3lb higher mark with ease over a mile and a half at this course next time.
He did so impressively despite failing to settle in the early stages, and he again was keener than ideal upped to a mile and three quarters at Wolverhampton last time, so that is a slight concern now trying two miles for the first time.
The race at Wolverhampton last time was run at a dawdle, though, and Plage de Havre wasn’t seen to best effect behind the reopposing Wonder Legend, whose rider took the race by the scruff of the neck around halfway and enjoyed a tactical advantage as a result.
Wonder Legend was sent for home entering the straight and Plage de Havre was always playing catch up as a result, but he did stick to his task well without being given too much of a hard time. That run leads me to believe he’s still a well-handicapped horse and he gets a 4lb pull with Wonder Legend now.
There are several front runners in this field which should ensure it’s run at a true gallop and there are bits and pieces in the pedigree of Plage de Havre which suggest he’s well worth a try at this even longer trip.
They can get racing from some way out at Newcastle over longer distances, which could play to the strengths of Plage de Havre if Oisin Murphy hangs on to him for as long as he can. Andrew Balding is in flying form and he remains a very well handicapped horse in my view.
Preview posted at 0905 BST 17/04/2025
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
