All-Weather Championships Media Release - Bangkok favourite to capture Betway Winter Derby

Published 2020/02/17

The 10-furlong Polytrack contest, one of the highlights of the All-Weather Championships, is a Fast-Track Qualifier for the £200,000 Betway Easter Classic over the course and distance on Finals Day, Good Friday, April 10.

Bangkok is the 18/25 favourite with Betway following a very comfortable success in the Listed Betway Winter Derby Trial on his All-Weather debut at Lingfield Park on February 1, when he came home four and a half lengths clear of Court House (John Gosden).

A G3 winner on turf, four-year-old Bangkok is attempting to provide Kingsclere handler Andrew Balding with a first winner in the Betway Winter Derby.

Alistair Donald, Racing Manager for owner King Power Racing, said today:

"Bangkok is in good form and the Betway Winter Derby is the intended target. "He has been pleasing Andrew and the team at Kingsclere since the Winter Derby Trial. "He obviously has to take on Dubai Warrior who looks a worthy opponent along with Court House, but we are hopeful of a good performance from Bangkok. "He is a worthy favourite and a reproduction of his latest run should see him go close and hopefully come out on top."

Bangkok010220.jpg

Bangkok winning the Betway Winter Derby Trial

Britain's champion trainer John Gosden has two contenders including Court House, who filled the runner-up position behind Bangkok last time out and also finished second in last year's Betway Winter Derby behind stable companion Wissahickon.

Gosden could also be represented by the progressive Dubai Warrior.

The four-year-old justified favouritism with a convincing success over Court House in the Listed Betway Quebec Stakes on his latest start in December and has won four of his five starts on the All-Weather.

A number of horses who finished behind Bangkok in the Betway Winter Derby Trial also remain in contention, including the third Dalgarno (Jane Chapple-Hyam), fourth Pactolus (Stuart Williams) and fifth Master The World (David Elsworth).

The latter plundered the Betway Winter Derby in 2018 and could be joined in the 10-furlong event by stablemate Entangling,who has won two of his six starts since joining his current trainer.

The nine going forward are completed by Century Dream (Simon Crisford), a G3 winner at Epsom in 2018, and Normal Norman (John Ryan), who scored in handicap company at Kempton Park in December.

Betway Winter Derby - Betway prices:

18/25 Bangkok;

9/4 Dubai Warrior;

8/1 Century Dream;

9/1 Court House;

25/1 Dalgarno, Master The World;

33/1 Entangling, Pactolus;

80/1 Normal Norman.

The exciting Good Effort (Ismail Mohammed) could bid for his fourth straight victory on the All-Weather in the other Listed race on the card, the £45,000 Betway Hever Sprint Stakes (2.05pm, 12 entries) over five furlongs.

Good Effort, a five-year-old son of Shamardal, has carried all before him on the All-Weather this winter and impressed last time out when taking the six-furlong Listed Betway Cleves Stakes at Lingfield Park on February 1.

The opposition may include lightly raced four-year-old Hareem Queen (Karl Burke) and recent Wolverhampton scorer Watchable (David O'Meara).

Betway Hever Sprint Stakes - Betway prices:

6/4 Good Effort;

9/2 Hareem Queen, Watchable;

5/1 Major Jumbo;

11/2 Furious;

7/1 Royal Birth;

12/1 Primo Uomo;

14/1 Corinthia Knight, Hathiq, Puds, Sceptical;

33/1 Chitra

Lingfield Park's seven-race programme starts at 1.30pm and ends at 4.55pm.

About the All-Weather Championships Season seven of the All-Weather Championships runs from Tuesday,

October 22, 2019 and culminates with All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday, April 10, 2020 at Lingfield Park.

The seven races on All-Weather Championships Finals Day are worth a total of £1 million.

The season seven information pack can be downloaded by following this link and scrolling down to the bottom of the page:

https://www.awchampionships.co.uk/about-the-championship/all-weather-explained

The six championship categories are:

£150,000 Three-Year-Olds sponsored by Ladbrokes - 6f Final

£150,000 Fillies & Mares sponsored by Ladbrokes - 7f Final

£150,000 Mile sponsored by Bombardier - 1m Final

£150,000 Sprint sponsored by Betway - 6f Final

£150,000 Marathon sponsored by Betway - 2m Final

£200,000 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 Lingfield Park: * 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 during the qualifying period between October 22, 2019 and the six-day entry stage for the finals (Saturday, April 4, 2020) and then be rated high enough to 'make the cut' in a final by order of its BHA Rating.