Lord North tops 24 entries for Betway Winter Derby as Haggas eyes spoils with Alenquer

Group 1 star Lord North headlines 24 entries for the £100,000 G3 Betway Winter Derby at Lingfield Park on Saturday, February 26.

One of three entries for John & Thady Gosden, Lord North has been off the track since recording a second top-level success in the G1 Dubai Turf on Dubai World Cup Night in March.

The 2020 G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes hero, who is the 2/1 favourite with Betway, is joined by last year’s Betway Winter Derby victor Forest Of Dean and Harrovian.

John Gosden is the most successful trainer in the Betway Winter Derby having also taken the spoils with Wissahickon in 2019 and Dubai Warrior in 2020.

G1 Juddmonte International runner-up Alenquer heads a trio of entries for William Haggas. The Newmarket handler is also responsible for My Oberon and German import Grocer Jack, who both made the frame in the G1 contests last season.

Haggas said: “Alenquer is doing very well and is the most likely of our three to run in the Betway Winter Derby.

“Our plan through the winter has been to run him at Lingfield and then take him out to Dubai for the Sheema Classic.

“At the moment, I am hoping to run both Grocer Jack and My Oberon at the big meeting in Saudi Arabia, so we have made Winter Derby entries only provisionally just in case they don’t get in.”

Simon & Ed Crisford have four entries, the most of any stable, including the former Andre Fabre-trained duo of Algiers and Erasmo.

There is Irish representation courtesy of the Joseph O’Brien-trained Baron Samedi, who was third in the G1 Irish St Leger at Curragh in September.

Some of this season’s leading All-Weather Championships performers are engaged, including recent winners Al Zaraqaan and Fox Tal.

G3 winner Regal Reality was narrowly denied in the Listed Betway Quebec Stakes at Lingfield Park just before Christmas, a race that also featured last year’s Betway Winter Derby second Felix.

Other notable entries include G3-winning mare Rose Of Kildare and Fancy Man, who was a consistent performer at this level on turf last year.

Aside from being one of the highlights of the All-Weather Championships, the Betway Winter Derby is the last of four Fast-Track Qualifiers for the £200,000 Betway Easter Classic at Newcastle on Finals Day.

Betway's Head of Communications and PR, Chad Yeomans, said: “We couldn't be happier with the list of entries for the 2022 Betway Winter Derby.

“Lord North, Regal Reality and Alenquer, amongst others, bring real top Group form into the race and it would be a stellar renewal if they were all to line up.”

Betway Winter Derby – Betway prices:

2/1 Lord North

5/1 Regal Reality

6/1 Alenquer, Harrovian

10/1 Al Zaraqaan, Grocer Jack

11/1 Felix 12/1 Fancy Man, Father of Jazz, Forest Of Dean, Fox Tal, My Oberon

16/1 Algiers, Palavecino, Rose Of Kildare

20/1 Baron Samedi, Chance, Erasmo, Miss Marble

25/1 King Of The South, Living Legend

33/1 Pistoletto, Virgin Snow

66/1 Barn Owl

*A run on dirt in Saudi Arabia during the All-Weather Championships season now counts as one of the three qualifying runs you need to be eligible for Finals Day.

About the All-Weather Championships

Season nine of the All-Weather Championships runs from Tuesday, October 19, 2021, and culminates with All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday, April 15, 2022.

Finals Day will take place at Newcastle for the first time while its previous home Lingfield Park will now stage the All-Weather Vase fixture for horses not rated high enough to run on Finals Day.

The six championship categories are:

Three-Year-Olds sponsored by Coral - 6f Final

Fillies & Mares sponsored by Coral - 7f Final

Mile sponsored by MansionBet - 1m Final

Sprint sponsored by Betway - 6f Final

Marathon sponsored by Betway - 2m Final

Middle Distance sponsored Betway - 10f Final

There are two ways for horses to qualify for one of the finals on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle:

* A horse can win a 'Fast-Track Qualifier' race which will ensure a FREE and GUARANTEED place in the corresponding final on Good Friday. There are four Fast-Track Qualifiers in each of the six championship categories hosted at racecourses in Great Britain, Ireland and France. If a filly wins any of the Fast-Track Qualifier races for either the Sprint or the Mile categories, the filly will be qualified for the final of that specific category, or for the Fillies and Mares Final.

or

* A horse must run a minimum of three times on the All-Weather surfaces in Great Britain, Ireland and France; or twice on the All-Weather surfaces in Great Britain, Ireland, France and once on dirt in Dubai or Saudi Arabia during the qualifying period between October 19, 2021 and the six-day entry stage for the finals (Saturday, April 9, 2022) and then be rated high enough to 'make the cut' in a final by order of its BHA Rating.

In addition, prizes will be awarded to each of the All-Weather Champions - the 'All Stars' - based on the number of winners at the end of the All-Weather Championships season:

Champion All-Weather Jockey (winner and runner up)

Champion All-Weather Apprentice Jockey (winner and runner up)

Champion All-Weather Trainer

Champion All-Weather Owner

Winning Most All-Weather Horse

For details of the 24 Fast-Track Qualifiers, please click here.

Fast-Track Qualifier winners so far:

1 - 3YO, October 19, Newcastle, 6f, SPACE COWBOY (Richard Spencer/Hollie Doyle)

2 - F&M, October 28, Lingfield Park, 1m, MAAMORA (Simon & Ed Crisford/James Doyle)

3 - F&M, November 5, Dundalk (IRE), 1m, FRIENDLY (Aidan O’Brien/Wayne Lordan)

4 - SPRINT, November 13, Lingfield Park, 6f, GOOD EFFORT (Ismail Mohammed/Jim Crowley)

5 - MD, November 13, Lingfield Park, 1m 2f, PYLEDRIVER (William Muir & Chris Grassick/Martin Dwyer)

6 - MD, November 23, Deauville (FR), 1m 1½f, INTEGRANT (Henri-Francois Devin/Maxime Guyon)

7 - MILE, November 24, Kempton Park, 1m, MADAME TANTZY (Eve Johnson Houghton/Georgia Dobie)

8 - 3YO, December 4, Wolverhampton, 6f, EL CABALLO (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee)

9 - MA, December 11, Newcastle, 2m, NICHOLAS T (Jim Goldie/Paul Mulrennan)

10 - F&M, January 1, Southwell, ARRIVISTE (Rae Guest/David Probert)

11 - SPRINT, January 2, Newcastle, VENTUROUS (David Barron/Connor Beasley)

12 - MILE, January 2, Newcastle, TEMPUS (Archie Watson/Hollie Doyle)

13 - MD, January 13, Newcastle, AL ZARAQAAN (Archie Watson/Danny Tudhope)

14 - MA, January 17, Wolverhampton, RAINBOW DREAMER (Alan King/Hollie Doyle)

For more information on the All-Weather Championships, please visit: www.awchampionships.co.uk  Further information about ARC can be found at www.arenaracingcompany.co.uk.