Finals Time
On Good Friday, All-Weather Championship Finals Day gets the spring holiday off to a superb start. Newcastle will host the cream of the all-weather performers with more than £1million in prizemoney up for grabs on the superb seven-race card. The stars of the winter Flat season will go head-to-head in the six separate categories in the culmination of a sensational six months of racing.
Among the horses likely to be on show are star sprinter Annaf, top filly Manaafith, Royal Ascot winner Berkshire Shadow and classy stayer Earlofthecotswolds. The BetUK Easter Classic Middle Distance Championship final is shaping up to be a cracker with eight-time all-weather winner Zealot on course to take on smart Forest Of Dean and unexposed improver Estidama. There will also be the All-Weather Vase meeting at Lingfield. The fixture gives horses not rated high enough to contest the Finals the chance to take part in the Easter excitement with an impressive £395,000 in prizemoney spread across seven races.
There is also huge prizemoney for lower grade races at Bath. A total of £200,000 is on offer for the track’s richest-ever raceday, so it’s not surprising the meeting has attracted more than 400 entries. There is also an extra special treat on Good Friday with the chance see what goes on behind the scenes at some of racing’s top stables with two of the biggest training centres holding open days
Come Behind The Scenes
The Peter O’Sullivan Lambourn Open Day has been welcoming guests to the ‘Valley of the Racehorse’ for more than 30 years. Nicky Henderson is among 27 trainers who will throw open their doors to visitors. There is also a packed programme of events throughout the day, including celebrity jockeys’ showjumping, a parade of famous racehorses, a sheepdog display and Shetland pony Grand National. Full details can be found at www.lambournopenday.com
The Middleham Open Day also takes place on Good Friday when racing yards in the North Yorkshire market town will welcome visitors. Charlie Johnston, Karl Burke and Jedd O’Keeffe are among the trainers opening their doors and there will be lots of events to entertain guests during the afternoon. Full details can be found at www.middlehamopenday.co.uk
Easter Action
There’s excellent racing across both codes on Easter Saturday. Musselburgh hosts the pick of the Flat action. The £100,000 Queen’s Cup is the feature race and there will also be entertainment events for all the family. The Challenger series comes to a head at Haydock with three of the five £50,000 finals taking place on the seven-race card.
There are also meetings at Newton Abbot, Carlisle and Wolverhampton. There’s decent racing on Easter Sunday across four meetings. Plumpton hosts the BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Hurdle, while the 3As Caravan West Wales National tops the bill at Ffos Las. They also race at Market Rasen and on the all-weather at Southwell.
There’s no less than seven meetings taking place on Easter Monday. Plumpton’s two-day fixture ends with BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Chase and, on the Flat, the Listed Racing TV Snowdrop Stakes is the big race at Kempton. There are also meetings on the Flat at Redcar and Wolverhampton, with jumps action at Chepstow, Fakenham and Huntingdon. It’s all makes for a bumper weekend of racing with so many exciting things happening on and off the course.
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