The third official All-Weather Championships Finals Day takes place at Lingfield on Good Friday. It’s the culmination of another season of all-weather racing with £1million in total prize fund on offer.
Championships Finals Day is the richest all-weather racecard staged in Europe as well as one of the richest race days in the UK overall. Six of the seven contests are championship races at various distances and all the runners have had to qualify over the winter.
All-weather racing is now firmly established in the UK but that wasn’t always the case. The sport was viewed as a poor relation to American dirt racing when it first began and snubbed by the purists. Even now, meetings suffer from low prize money but bookmakers’ subsidies have helped keep courses afloat and the standard is steadily improving. Tracks like Lingfield, Kempton and Newcastle stage races at Listed class and even higher and there are now six all-weather tracks spread across England, helping keep racing ticking over when the weather closes down Turf racing, though that will be reduced by one if threats to close Kempton are followed through.
It’s fitting that Lingfield stages Championships Finals Day as the Surrey venue was the first all-weather course in the country. It’s Polytrack surface is one of the quickest but not everyone is a supporter of its Good Friday fixture. Betting office staff get few days off but Good Friday, along with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, was traditionally a day on which they could put their feet up – that’s no longer the case.
The Betway Easter Classic Middle Distance Championship is the finale and the most valuable race on the card. Run over 1m2f, it carries prize money of £200,000 and most of that may be going to Robert Ng, new owner of CONVEY. Sir Michael Stoute’s gelding is two from two on the all-weather. He had several of Friday’s rivals behind when staying on strongly to land the Group 3 Winter Derby at Lingfield in February. Third Absolute Blast subsequently won the Listed Magnolia Stakes at Kempton and the son of Dansili looks worth a bet at 9/4 with the sponsors.
Betway are sponsoring three races on All-Weather Championship Finals Day and new customers registering an account with Betway can get their hands on a free £30 bet from the bookmaker. After going through the quick registration process, your target is to place bets which total the value of your initial deposit with them at minimum odds of 1.75 (3/4 fractional).
Once you have matched the value of your initial deposit with qualifying bets, Betway will reward you with a free bet bonus in your account. The maximum free bet value is £30 in the welcome bonus offer. When the free bet hits your account, you will have 7 days to use that bonus. Terms and conditions apply, please see full detail directly at Betway.
The registration process at Betway is quick and easy to go follow. It is all very self explanatory and won’t take long, and there are numerous ways to fund the account, from e-wallets like Skrill through to bank and credit cards.
Easter Classic Middle Distance Championship Current Best Odds
Convey (9/4), Absolute Blast (4/1), Battalion (6/1), Grendisar (13/2), Elbreth and Third Time Lucky (12/1), Metropol (25/1), Allez Henri (28/1), Van Huysen (100/1)
MUFFRI’HA will be favourite for the Fillies And Mares’ Final but the 7/4 currently available with Betfred is probably fair value given she won her qualifier by four lengths. Only beaten a length in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan last month, that form is in a different league to her rivals.
Her trainer, William Haggas, will also have high hopes for SECOND THOUGHT in the 32Red Three-Year-Old All-Weather Championship as the Kodiac colt has twice got the better of likely market rival Sutter County since the turn of the year and looks a smart prospect – he’s still available at 11/8 in places.
