In a tactical affair, Mildenberger (Mark Johnston/Joe Fanning, 11/4) was ideally positioned behind pace setters Outbox (Archie Watson/Hollie Doyle) and Nate The Great (Andrew Balding/Richard Kingscote), with the 7/4 favourite Rainbow Dreamer (Alan King/Tom Marquand) tracking his main market rival in a share of fourth.

Nate The Great made his move passing the three-furlong pole and soon had the field strung out, but he could not shake off the looming presence of Mildenberger who assumed command at the top of the home straight.

All the while Rainbow Dreamer was building up a head of steam in behind and switched to the rail to deliver his challenge.

For several strides, it looked as though Rainbow Dreamer was coming with a winning run but Mildenberger was not for passing under an inspired Fanning and prevailed by a head.

The pair pulled four and a half lengths clear of Nate The Great, with the fourth home Cosmelli (Gay Kelleway/Tom Eaves) a further 11 lengths behind.

This marked a return to form for the 109-rated Mildenberger and the six-year-old is now guaranteed a start in the Betway All-Weather Marathon Championship (2m) at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championship Finals Day, Good Friday, April 2.

Fanning said: “It was a messy race; the pace was steadying and then when I went to put a bit of pressure on, they quickened up, and then when I pulled back, they slowed it down again.

“I think, had we gone a proper gallop, I would have won with a bit more in hand. Every time this lad has won there has been a good gallop on which is why I was worried about them slowing it up.

“You can’t deliver rides like that without the horse. It is a big help. He is a very good horse on the turf as well and I thought he had a big shout here tonight in this sort of race.”

Mildenberger fends off Rainbow Dreamer on the rail

About the All-Weather Championships

Season eight of the All-Weather Championships runs from Tuesday, October 20, 2020 and culminates with All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday, April 2, 2021 at Lingfield Park.

The six championship categories are:

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

Fillies & Mares sponsored by Ladbrokes - 7f Final

Mile sponsored by Bombardier - 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 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 20, 2020 and the six-day entry stage for the finals (Saturday, March 28, 2021) 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: https://www.awchampionships.co.uk/take-part/fast-track-qualifier-dates 

Fast-Track Qualifier winners so far:

1 - 3YO, October 20, Newcastle, 6f, SIGNFICANTLY (Karl Burke/Clifford Lee)

2 - F&M, October 29, Lingfield Park, 1m, INDIE ANGEL (John Gosden/Frankie Dettori)

3 - F&M, November 13, Dundalk (IRE), 1m, UMMALNAR (William Haggas/Chris Hayes)

4 - MD, November 14, Lingfield Park, 1m 2f, DUBAI WARRIOR (John Gosden/Robert Havlin)

5 - SPRINT, November 14, Lingfield Park, 6f, GOOD EFFORT (Ismail Mohammed/Ray Dawson)

6 - MILE, November 18, Kempton Park, 1m, KINROSS (Ralph Beckett/Richard Kingscote)

7 - MD, November 25, Deauville (FR), 1m 1½f, SKY POWER (Gael Barbedette/Stephane Pasquier)

8 - 3YO, December 5, Wolverhampton, 6f, VICTORY HEIGHTS (James Tate/PJ McDonald)

9 - MA, December 12, Newcastle, 2m 56y, ISLAND BRAVE (Heather Main/Cieren Fallon)

10 - F&M, January 4, Wolverhampton, 7f, AMNIARIX (Ed Walker/Richard Kingscote)

11 - SPRINT, January 12, Newcastle, 5f, VENTUROUS (David Barron/Tom Marquand)

12 - MILE, January 12, Newcastle, 1m, BLESS HIM (David Simcock/Jamie Spencer)

13 - MA, January 18, Wolverhampton, 2m ½f, MILDENBERGER (Mark Johnston/Joe Fanning)

For more information on the All-Weather Championships, please visit www.awchampionships.co.uk

About ARC: Arena Racing Company (“ARC”) is the largest racecourse operator in the UK. ARC is made up of the following sixteen racecourses: Bath, Brighton, Chepstow, Doncaster, Ffos Las, Fontwell Park, Great Yarmouth, Hereford, Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Royal Windsor, Sedgefield, Southwell, Uttoxeter, Wolverhampton and Worcester. In addition to racecourses ARC owns Newcastle, Nottingham, Sunderland and Perry Barr Greyhound Stadia and looks after the media interests of the Greyhound Media Group (“GMG”). ARC runs four of the six all-weather racecourses in the UK offering three different types of surface for horses to run on: Polytrack at Lingfield Park, fibresand at Southwell Racecourse and tapeta at Newcastle and Wolverhampton Racecourses – the only tapeta racing surfaces in Europe. In 2013 ARC pioneered the All-Weather Championships which see horses compete throughout the winter for the chance of qualifying for a £1 million Finals Day on Good Friday at Lingfield Park. This initiative is helping raise the profile and prestige of all-weather racing in Great Britain. ARC hosts racing at all levels of the sport from Class 7 through to Group 1s. Doncaster Racecourse is home to the world’s oldest Classic, the Pertemps St Leger, run each year in September as part of the four-day St Leger Festival as well as the final Group 1 of the year in Britain, the Vertem Futurity Trophy. Feature jumps races include the Grade 1 Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle Racecourse, the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow Racecourse and Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter Racecourse. As well as racing, ARC also operates a hotel at Wolverhampton Racecourse, a hotel, spa resort and golf course at Lingfield Park and The Border Minstrel public house at Newcastle Racecourse in the grounds of Gosforth Park. The Hilton Garden Inn Doncaster Racecourse opened in September 2018. ARC is a significant shareholder in the horseracing TV channel Sky Sports Racing which is broadcast on the Sky platform to c.14 million homes. ARC plays a pivotal role in British Racing. It is a shareholder in British Champions Series and Racecourse Data Company; a signatory to a British Horseracing Authority’s and Horsemen’s Group Prize Money Agreement; and on the boards of the Racecourse Association (“RCA”), Great British Racing (“GBR”) and British Champion Series (“BCS”). In 2015 ARC set up The Racing Partnership. This limited company represents the media rights of the 16 ARC owned-racecourses and the five independent racecourses Fakenham, Hexham, Newton Abbot, Plumpton and Ripon. Further information about ARC can be found at www.arenaracingcompany.co.uk.