15.30 Chelmsford, Cond, £100,000, 3yo, 8f (AWT)
CAPULET (IRE) (Justify) is a big draw for Chelmsford in this Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes which acts as part of the “Road To The Kentucky Derby” series. Runner-up in Leopardstown's G2 Champions Juvenile S. and third in the G2 Royal Lodge S. at Newmarket last term, Ballydoyle's relative of the Derby hero Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is among the stable's prime Derby candidates in 2024 and will be tested by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's recent Listed Burradon S. winner Cuban Tiger (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) over a trip probably shy of his optimum.

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All betting and media rights across retail and digital channels are covered under the agreement, with racing continuing to be shown on the Racing TV channel and in betting shops via the SIS service. The Coursetrack system will also be utilised in order to provide live, in-race timing information at the Essex course, which is set to become the first venue in Britain to stage both turf and all-weather racing under floodlights. Substantial capital improvements are also planned, including an £85-million multipurpose grandstand.

Director of racing, Neil Graham said, “We are looking forward to working closely with SIS and RMG to strengthen our existing racing programme and to work on new initiatives. These deals give us the certainty by supporting ambitions for the racecourse to be bolder and more ambitious in its plans going forward.”

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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.

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17.30 Chelmsford City, Nov, £13,999, 2yo, 8f (AWT)
Michael Tabor's WIGMORE STREET (American Pharoah) is an unraced half-brother to two black-type performers out of GI Matron S. heroine Marylebone (Unbridled's Song) and starts out for the Simon and Ed Crisford yard in this 11-runner contest. He encounters Godolphin's once-raced winner Tagabawa (GB) (New Approach (Ire), who is a Charlie Appleby-trained homebred son of MG1SP G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches third Tasaday (Nayef).

HOW THEY FARED
14.25 Lingfield, Nov, £6,800, 2yo, f, 7f 1y (AWT)
Godolphin homebred Star Guest (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a daughter of MGSW G1 Prix d'Ispahan third Usherette (Ire) (Shamardal), hit the front inside the final furlong, but was collared by Glory Lily (GB) (Shamardal) in the dying strides and finished a neck second to that Charlie Appleby-trained stablemate.

16.30 Kempton, Nov, £6,800, 2yo, 8f (AWT)
Fitri Hay's newcomer Clan Chieftain (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), a full-brother to this year's GI Man O' War S. hero Highland Chief (Ire), was never a factor on debut and finished just over nine lengths behind the winner in 10th.

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“Due to the ongoing pandemic, the racecourse has taken the decision to implement Covid passes as a condition of entry,” a statement from the track read. “We have introduced these measures in order to protect our customers, team, local community and those who participate in our sport.

“Alongside this as an additional safety measure, the racecourse will also be implementing ID as a condition of entry as well. This will be conducted by scanning photographic IDs with the following forms of ID accepted: passport, drivers licence, any government or international issue photo card. This is a decision which the racecourse has not taken lightly, but we feel that we are obligated to protect all who visit the racecourse. In order to do this we want to ensure that all persons attending are not on any lists that ban them from industry venues, sports grounds and licensed premises. The scanning of IDs upon entry has also been introduced in response to the UK raising the terror threat to severe.”

Nathan Holmes, Chelmsford's commercial director, said that the Covid pass implementation is not related to the recent discovery of new Covid strain Omicron-of which there was a nearby case-but instead something that has been in the works.

“The decision was made before the new variant came into play–it wasn't a knee-jerk reaction at all, we've had it planned for a couple of weeks,” Holmes said. “Jockeys do not have show a pass at the moment. We're still looking towards the horsemen to try to do something similar, but we're not sure how that is going to work yet as there are lots of different parties involved.

“We've spoken to racegoers about this and we've had quite a mixed reaction, particularly from older racegoers. We are inevitably going to lose some people, but at the same time we think we are going to gain some because we are creating a safe environment for people to come racing. As for how long we implement this, we have four meetings left this year. After our final meeting we then have a three-week gap. Our thinking is we've done so well in racing since coming out of lockdown, let's not spoil it. We've also got some big Christmas parties with up to 300 people coming, which this will be implemented at as well, so we'll get this period out of the way first and then review it in the three-week period and see where we are at. Hopefully then there will be better news coming from the government.”

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