We started off with a beautiful morning here in Newmarket but like yesterday we are due plenty of rain this afternoon and the clouds are starting to appear. Although it comes after the start of the turf season All Weather Finals day is now upon us and it will be great to see Lingfield full to the rafters this afternoon. On many occasions there are not many people at Lingfield and it can lack in atmosphere but that won’t be the case this afternoon and it promises to be a really good day. Newcastle have also put on a decent card again and there is also an interesting three year old handicap on the turf at Bath. Many traditionalists were unconvinced by the introduction of racing on Good Friday but the prize money is healthy and the crowds are too and since its inception it has been a great success story.
King Kevin did not quite finish with his usual sparkle at Wolverhampton last night when finishing fifth but he owes us nothing having won five times this Winter and finishing placed on five further occasions. He was a little flat in the race despite appearing to be fresh and well at home beforehand and he is likely to need a holiday now.
We run Red Verdon in the Betway Marathon at Lingfield today and Amazing Red in the valuable Betway Handicap up at Newcastle. Both races are very competitive but I hope the pair can run with credit. Watersmeet has rattled off a hat-trick and was second in the Marathon last year and he is the solid horse that the rest of the field have to beat in the two miler at Lingfield. Funny Kid looked like he might beat him at Wolverhampton but Watersmeet showed great resolution to battle back past him. Mountain Bell won on her first start at the trip up at Newcastle and beat Watersmeet but it is a very different track there to Lingfield, she is very talented and can’t be ignored. On his day Soldier In Action is smart and you can never discount a Mark Johnston runner. Our horse is in very good form and we have had an uninterrupted preparation with him since he won over twelve furlongs around Lingfield last month. The step up in trip is an unknown but we are hopeful he will stay and if he does then he has the class to have a big say in this field.
The Betway Handicap run at 3:20 up at Newcastle looks wide open and Amazing Red is one of a number of horses that has claims in it. I was very happy with his seasonal debut where he settled off a slow pace and finished off his race well. If he settles as well this afternoon he has each way claims at a track that will suit him better than Lingfield. We are closely matched with Island Brave but I would hope we have some improvement to come. Cosmeapolitan won well at Kempton, Lexington Law is on the upgrade and Al Hamdany has been in the money all Winter but the handicapper appears to just have him. Shabeeb remains with potential and so does Stargazer who shaped very well recently over two miles off of a long break. If this race does not come too soon for him then Stargazer is a danger back in trip but it is a big if as there is a chance he may bounce. Royal Reserve has finished just behind Island Brave and Lexington Law whilst Sofia’s Rock has finished third in a Bahrain Trophy and he could run a big race on his all-weather debut post a gelding operation. It is a competitive race which is exactly what you expect of a handicap as valuable as this and I hope we can run a big race.