Monday, 14 April 2014

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.