All-Weather Championships Set to Kick Off on Oct. 17

Season XI of the All-Weather Championships is set to kick off on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and culminates back at the same venue with the £1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Mar. 29, 2024, with the £395,000 All-Weather Championships Vase set for the same day at Lingfield Park.

This year there are some notable changes to the structure of the All-Weather Championships, including removing the 'Fast Track Qualifier' status from races which previously earned horses a guaranteed entry to the Final in each category. The rule requiring three runs on an all-weather racing surface in Britain [at either Chelmsford City, Kempton Park, Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Southwell or Wolverhampton, Ireland or France to qualify for the Newcastle and Lingfield Park fixtures remains, and one of the three runs can take place in either Dubai or Saudi Arabia.

Prize-money values will remain unchanged with each Final continuing to offer £150,000, with the Middle-Distance Final set at £200,000.

New for Season XI will be two All-Weather Championships Trials Day fixtures, hosting a series of £45,000 open handicaps at Newcastle on Jan. 1 and Lingfield Park on Mar. 1. The winner of each race will be eligible for free entry to the corresponding Finals Day race at Newcastle and a £30,000 bonus should they go on to also win the finals. Any horse that wins at both All-Weather Trials Days in the same category and goes on to also win at Newcastle will be eligible for a total bonus of £75,000.

ARC also announced the return of the £1-million All-Weather Bonus Scheme earlier this year, which will once again offer monthly, and end of season, rewards to the most consistent performers across the groups four all-weather racecourses. The scheme runs in conjunction with the All-Weather Championships, starting on the same date, Oct. 17.

“The All-Weather Championships is a popular competition throughout the winter months,” Managing Director of ARC's Racing Division, Mark Spincer, said. “We have, however, looked at the structure of the programme, in conjunction with the BHA, that ultimately leads horses to either Newcastle or Lingfield Park on Good Friday and made a few adjustments.”

For more information, please visit the All-Weather Championships website.

The post All-Weather Championships Set to Kick Off on Oct. 17 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Group 1 Winner Angel Bleu Returns at Wolverhampton

Saturday's card at Wolverhampton, which includes two Fast-Track Qualifiers for the All-Weather Championships, has attracted some classy entrants, including the dual Group 1 winner Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

The four-year-old looks set to start his 2023 campaign in the Listed Spreadex Sports Lady Wulfruna S., in which he could face the G2 Coventry S winner of 2021, Berkshire Shadow (Ire), who is also by Dark Angel.

“Angel Bleu has been in training all winter and the intention is to start him off at Wolverhampton on Saturday,” said trainer Ralph Beckett. “This is not a prep for the All-Weather Championships finals but it is a prep for the rest of the year.”

The Andrew Balding-trained Berkshire Shadow was fifth in last season's G1 2000 Guineas, just one place ahead of Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), who is also entered for Saturday's race and was last seen running sixth in the G3 1351 Turf Sprint on the Saudi Cup card in Riyadh. HIs trainer Richard Hannon has won two of the last three editions of the Lady Wulfruna S, including in 2021 with Mums Tipple (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), who is another of the 14 entries. 

Hannon said, “I have given Lusail an entry and we will decide whether he runs once I have discussed it with [his owner] Al Shaqab Racing. He has come back from Saudi as good as gold. I thought he ran well out there but it showed he needs a bit further than that. He will go on the surface at Wolverhampton no problem and could well take his chance.

Last year's Lady Wulfruna winner Tinker Toy (GB) (War Front) is entered to defend his title for Roger Varian and owner/breeder Craig Bennett, while another notable potential runner is the Charlie Appleby-trained Noble Dynasty (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is rated 106 and has won three of his last four starts. 

The post Group 1 Winner Angel Bleu Returns at Wolverhampton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Dubai Warrior Holds Off Regal Reality To Take Betway Quebec Stakes At Lingfield

Dubai Warrior rediscovered his best form to register a fourth course success at Lingfield Park in Lingfield, United Kingdom, in the Listed Betway Quebec Stakes Saturday.

The son of Dansili enjoyed an excellent record at the track for his previous trainer John Gosden, winning three of his four starts including this race in 2019 and the 2020 Group 3 Betway Winter Derby.

Now trained by David Loughnane, Dubai Warrior was last on his debut for the stable in the G3 Diamond Stakes at Dundalk in County Louth, Ireland, in September but shaped much better in fifth behind Pyledriver in the Listed Betway Churchill Stakes at Lingfield Park on November 13.

Richard Kingscote deployed more positive tactics today and positioned Dubai Warrior in behind front runners Garden Paradise and Palavecino in the early stages. The duo was relegated to fifth at the four-furlong pole before making a decisive move widest of all approaching the home turn.

Dubai Warrior, sent off a 13/2 chance, led at the top of the straight and dug in gamely as Regal Reality closed all the way to the line. The winning distance was a nose, with 5/2 favorite Felix two lengths further back in third.

Loughnane said: “Dubai Warrior is a class horse and very good around here. It is brilliant to get a winner on the board for his owner [Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum].

“He is a very easy horse to train and maps out his own races. We don't have to do too much with him.

“He had a setback and then was gelded. He used to get a bit worked up and sweaty before his races but that can be typical of his sire's progeny, but he is a happy horse now and happy horses win races.

“We just think the eye-shields help him put his head down. Richard gave him a great ride and, once this horse gets rolling, it takes a good one to go with him.

“The aim now will be the Winter Derby and then Finals Day itself will be a long-term target. I would think he will come back here for the Winter Derby Trial as well.”

Kingscote said: “It probably wasn't the smoothest race for Dubai Warrior. He needs to get rolling early, which meant I had to get myself out and come too wide.

“I thought coming to the half-furlong pole, my momentum was just finishing and Ryan [Moore] was coming on the second, but Dubai Warrior really stuck his neck out.

“He is a smart horse, particularly around here, and there should be more pots in him going forward.”

The post Dubai Warrior Holds Off Regal Reality To Take Betway Quebec Stakes At Lingfield appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

ARC Confirms Prizemoney Plans Through April

The prizemoney investment plans for the Arena Racing Company's Programme Book One 2022, which runs from January through April, were confirmed on Thursday. These initiatives are part of ARC's £21.7 million 2022 prizemoney investment plan. The All-Weather Championships will be held at Newcastle for the first time, as previously announced, and Flat racing will return to Southwell with a new Tapeta surface. The £40,000 Coral Winter Oaks Trial will be held at that course on Dec. 7. There will also be Flat Class 5 and 6 bonuses to the winning connections of £2,500 and the yard will earn £150 through January, February and March at all all-weather meetings. The Jumps programme will be boosted with a minimum of £75,000 in total prizemoney per card on all ARC fixtures run in January, February and March. The full programme for the Winter Million fixture is available here.

Managing Director of ARC's Racing Division, Mark Spincer, said, “We are pleased to confirm our specific prize money investment plans for programme book one 2022 as part of the overall announcements that we made in October.

“Our flat programme throughout this time will continue to run above minimum values, and we very much look forward to introducing the new bonus for Class 5 and 6 divided races from January, alongside free entry for flat owners during February and March.  Equally, we hope that the reshaping of Good Friday, with the All-Weather Vase fixture at Lingfield Park, will give more horses an end of season target, and an excellent day out for connections.”

The post ARC Confirms Prizemoney Plans Through April appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights