A Guide To The Weekend’s Racing 02/04/2015

Fancy watching some live racing this weekend? Make sure you don’t miss a trick with our guide to the best up-coming meetings of the next three days.

Friday

Whilst there are only two UK meetings being held tomorrow, you can still expect some high quality racing with the All Weather Championships at Lingfield and a pair of class two flat races being the jewel in the crown of the Musselburgh event. Should you be unable to get down to either track, Channel 4 will be broadcasting the first five (of seven) races from the All Weather Championships alongside the big two in Scotland.

The big race of the day, the Easter Classic, takes place at Lingfield and contains a Winter Derby rematch between winner Tryster, second placed Grendisar and unlucky fourth Complicit. It is the former who is the strong favourite to take home the first prize of £125,000 for his connections though will need to be at his best to see off his seven rivals.

At Musselburgh the likes of Gordon Elliott’s versatile Bayan (14:25), William Haggas’ star three-year-old Tadqeeq (14:55) and Rebecca Bastiman’s hardy 13-year-old Borderlescott (15:30) will be under orders in their respective races.

Saturday

There are four meetings being held across mainland Britain on Saturday and another batch of flat races being undertaken at Cork. There’s also a seven race card on the polytrack at Kempton whilst the going is expected to be softer than good at all of Carlisle, Haydock and Newton Abbot. These final three meetings are primarily jumps events. Terrestrial television (Channel 4) will be broadcasting from both Kempton and Haydock.

The class race of Saturday is the listed Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes for four-year-olds at Kempton. Looking to be first past the post in the 1m spectacular are Charlie Hills’ one-time Group One entrant Queen Catrine and Marco Botti’s course and distance winner Lady Dutch.

Elsewhere, Virak is the top weight in a 3m class two handicap chase at Haydock (15:10) whilst Carlisle have a mammoth hurdle in the shape of the 25f class three at 16:05.

Sunday

Following the anticipated success of the All Weather Championships, Musselburgh will be back – this time on the turf – to host another good quality flat card. Chases and hurdles are the order of the day at Plumpton with a similar card on offer at Sedgefield. Whilst they will also be over jumps at Cork, the big meeting of the day has to be Fairyhouse with the feature races being the Grade One Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final and the Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase.

Previous winners of the former include Annie Power and Adriana Des Mottes with the likes of Festival Triumph Hurdle entrant Petite Parisienne, the unbeaten Morning Run and the Festival Mares Hurdle placed Bitofapuzzle all potentially lining up.

There could be another Cheltenham Festival vibe in the 20f novice chase with a potential rematch between JLT one, two Vautour – who will go off the odds-on favourite should he line up – and Apache Stronghold.

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