All-Weather Championships Media Release - Fellowes hoping Amarillo can find way to Finals Day in Monday's Fast-Track Qualifier at Kempton Park

Published 2020/01/18

The six-furlong Polytrack contest is a Fast-Track Qualifier for the £150,000 Ladbrokes Three-Year-Old All-Weather Championship over the same distance at Lingfield Park on Finals Day, Good Friday, April 10.

Amarillo Star (Charlie Fellowes/Hayley Turner) got off the mark at the fifth attempt with an easy five-length success in a six-furlong novice auction race at Kempton Park on December 5.

The Society Rock colt had shown ability on turf prior to that, going down narrowly in novice events at Ascot and Bath either side of a credible fifth in the Listed Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy in October, when he shouldered joint top weight.

Trainer Charlie Fellowes said: "Amarillo Star won only an average novice race over course and distance last time, albeit pretty comfortably.

He will need to take a step forward, but I think he is capable of doing so. "He has some decent form from last year, particularly in the Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy when he was fifth under a big weight. "He hasn't run again since Kempton as I do not want to over race him. He is not the biggest and if he doesn't win on Monday, he will have one more run and then go on to Lingfield for Finals Day. "I think the three-year-old race would suit him well. Obviously, Maystar is the standard setter in the division at the moment, but he is not a million miles away on ratings and I think from what we have seen so far it looks quite an open division."

The opposition on Monday includes Windsor novice race victor Fleeting Prince (Charlie Hills/Kieran Shoemark), who carries the familiar colours of Susan Roy.

Fleeting Prince has not raced since coming home 15th in the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Stakes at York in August.

Get Boosting (Keith Dalgleish/Franny Norton) posted a career-best on his penultimate start when finishing second to Maystar in a Fast-Track Qualifier at Wolverhampton on December 7.

He has since filled the same position in a novice race at Wolverhampton on December 26. Irish import Kondratiev Wave (Tony Carroll/Hollie Doyle), a Curragh maiden winner in September, was sixth on his UK debut in the Fast-Track Qualifier won by Maystar and has subsequently finished second in a six-furlong nursery handicap at Lingfield Park on December 30.

Kempton Park's eight-race programme on Monday starts at 1.20pm and ends at 4.50pm. 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.