All-Weather Champs Finals Day: Wolverhampton Form

Looking forward to a quality day's racing on Good Friday? Started studying the card? Recognise a few familiar names from your trip to Wolverhampton this winter? We have taken the time to pick out a few of the contenders competing on tomorrow's All-Weather Championship Finals Day card, who have racked up a win or two at Wolverhampton during the Championship period.

Race 1

The Lock Master - class 4 victor but most notably took to the Fibresand of Southwell well winning one of their Class 2's, wasn't beaten far off here either in Class 2 company.
Mica Mika - victorious in a class 5, however struggled to get his head in front when racing in a Class 4 on four occasions.

Race 2

Fashion Line (pictured below) - victorious in Class 5 and then Class 4 company, she went on to lose by under 2 lengths when competing in the Lincoln Trial. Currently favourite in the market, she could clinch this Class 2 having experienced the narrow defeat back in March.

Interception - unbeaten in both the Championships and at Wolverhampton this season, however only victorious by a short head at Kempton in a Class 4 last time out. 

Race 3

Steventon Star - just got up to win on his only Wolverhampton start in a Class 2, didn't fare so well last time out at Lingfield though against similar oppostion.

Lady Frances - winner back in February in a Class 4, having been victorious on his debut at Wolverhampton also this time last year.

Race 4

Blue Wave - won back to back Class 2's in February for Mark Johnston & Joe Fanning, who have both been in superb form during the course of the Championships.

Hunting Ground - also from the Johnston yard, Fanning rode the 4 year old to an 8 length victory over 2 miles and a furlong.

Race 5

Ballista (pictured below) - won a Class 2 on one of our feature race meetings of the year, Boxing Day. This however, proved to be the only AWC victory to the horse's name.

Even Stevens - also a Class 2 winner here, having pulled out a big performance at a big price in February. This is Scott Dixon's only runner for the day.

Race 6

Chookie Royale - Mightily impressive at Wolverhampton this year, twice kicking on the bend under Tom Eaves to draw readily clear, winning by very comfortable margins in both a Class 1 & Class 2. Didn't perform on the turf in the Lincoln but now returning to Polytrack he has a fantastic chance at glory.

Grey Mirage - 3rd in the opening race of the Championships, but has gone from strength to strength during the Championships and is unbeaten in 2014.

Race 7

Solar Deity - winner of the 2013 Lady Wulfruna Stakes, Champs opening race 2nd (ahead of Grey Mirage) and a Class 2 winner, before losing narrowly to Marshgate Lane and then competing at Meydan through the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

Marshgate Lane - one run at Wolverhampton, beating Solar Deity in a Class 2 in December.

We'll be cheering on another finish like Marshgate Lane & Solar Deity battled out back in December to close the Championships at Lingfield Park tomorrow on a fantastic day of racing!

All-Weather Champs Highlights

After over 5 months of All-Weather Championship action, we concluded their residency here for the season on Saturday evening. We have seen over 70 All-Weather Championship fixtures at the racecourse since the launch meeting was held here back on October 26th, with horses, trainers, jockeys and owners battling it out for a share of the £2 million prize fund that ARC put up for this fantastic initiative.

Some fantastic horses have graced the Polytrack here, including most notably, Toast Of New York (pictured below), who after his All-Weather Champs win, went on to claim a UAE Derby victory on Dubai World Cup Day at Meydan. Adam Kirby, who leads the jockey's league table from All-Weather Champs ambassador Luke Morris, rode him on his only All-Weather Champs run, and won by an impressive 16 lengths! It was after this that Jamie Osborne, who has been tremendously successful of late, realised how special a horse he had on his hands and took him straight to Dubai, with a view to now competing at the Derby.

The All-Weather Champs have brought a host of Class 2's to Wolverhampton with some top class colts, fillies, geldings and mares taking some very valuable prizes. Our most valuable races, worth over a staggering £40,000 each, were won by; Chookie Royale (pictured left), Even Stevens, Whispering Warrior, Solar Deity and Marshgate Lane (pictured below). The latter two both trained by Mark Johnston, who also trained multiple Class 2 victor here, Blue Wave. Mark's set an unassailable lead at the top of the trainer's league table, creating a very comfortable margin over second place, Michael  Appleby, as the season has progressed.

The Championship fixtures have been accompanied by some brilliant entertainment, including live music acts, pro/am darts challenges and family activities, and through January, attendance for all 14 All-Weather Champs fixtures was free of charge!

The Championships conclude this Friday at Lingfield Park Racecourse, on what will be the first Good Friday race meeting, with Lingfield beginning proceedings on the day at 1.45pm. Our annual members can attend this fixture free thanks to the fantastic ARC benefits with every ARC racecourse annual membership. Tickets can be bought from the Lingfield website for a day of top notch all-weather racing, worth £1 million, please follow the link to their fixture page: http://www.lingfieldpark.co.uk/fixtures/all-weather-championship-finals-day/

Looking to follow the Wolverhampton form on Finals Day this week? Watch this blog for a post later in the week when the declarations are out, which may steer you to your Good Friday selections. After all, Lingfield also race on a left handed Polytrack based track, and we have seen a number of winners here go down south to pick up a touch more of that ARC funded prize money at the Surrey racecourse.