By Ashley Iveson, PA
Elegant Man is backed to strike Good Friday gold in the BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic at Newcastle.
Captain Joy, who plundered the Mile in 2016, is the only previous Irish-trained winner on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, but there is every chance that meagre tally can be added to this year.
Elegant Man has won two of his three starts to date for Adrian Murray, impressing on his Dundalk debut in October and on his most recent visit to Ireland’s sole all-weather circuit in late January.
Those two triumphs on home soil sandwich an excellent effort in defeat as he finished best of the rest behind a Breeders’ Cup hero and multiple Group One winner in Rebel’s Romance in December’s Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton, with several three-figure rated performers finishing behind him.
The son of American star Arrogate must concede weight all round in a £200,000 contest that is being run as a handicap for the first time, but is open to more improvement than most of his rivals and might just be a Group horse in the making.
Spartan Army can complete a four-timer in the BetUK All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap.
Bought out of Joseph O’Brien’s yard for 170,000 guineas a couple of years ago, the five-year-old was initially campaigned over hurdles by Alan King, winning twice from seven attempts.
Having seemingly reached his ceiling over obstacles, Spartan Army has reverted to the Flat since the turn of the year and it has proved an excellent move as he has rattled off a hat-trick of victories over this two-mile distance.
A 4lb rise for his latest win does not look insurmountable and he appears almost certain to be involved in the finish.
Andrew Balding’s Fire Demon gets the vote in the BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap, while the booking of 7lb claimer Jack Enright gives recent Listed scorer Nine Tenths a good opportunity to defy top-weight in the BetMGM Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Handicap.
Plenty of in-form speedsters are set to go to post for the BetUK All-Weather Sprint Handicap, the pick of which could prove to be John and Thady Gosden’s Cover Up.
The four-year-old is three from three on artificial surfaces and has twice hit the target at Newcastle.
He was hugely dominant on his most recent outing at Gosforth Park and while a 13lb rise is clearly significant, Cover Up is still on a steep upward curve.
Greatgadian is an interesting contender near the foot of the weights in the BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap, having won once and finished second three times from four previous visits to Newcastle.
The meeting gets under way with the BetMGM Burradon Stakes, in which Orne sets a lofty standard for the Gosden team.
There is also quality all-weather fare on offer at Lingfield, with course and distance winner Bystander of clear interest in the BetUK All-Weather Vase Middle Distance Handicap.
The son of Dark Angel was odds-on for his racecourse debut at Redcar last spring, but finished last of six and has since been gelded and moved from Simon and Ed Crisford’s yard to join Karl Burke.
The move has clearly done him no harm as he is two from three for his new trainer and looked improved for a step up to a mile and a quarter when impressing over this course and distance last time.
A wide draw is not ideal, but if he can get off to a decent start and find himself a suitable position on the heels of the leaders, he should prove hard to beat.
Clear-cut Southwell scorer Mr Swivell is rated the best bet at Chelmsford in the Watch Live Racing At bet365 Handicap.