All-Weather Championships Media Release - Monday, October 19, 2020 Kachy honoured as All-Weather Championships return

Published 2020/10/19

There are no changes to the six championship categories, with four Fast-Track Qualifiers per category taking place at All-Weather tracks in Britain, France and Ireland during the season.

*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

The race formerly known as the Betway Cleves Stakes, a Fast-Track Qualifier for the Betway All-Weather Sprint Championship, is now titled the Betway Kachy Stakes. The six-furlong Listed prize is due to take place at Lingfield Park in early February.

Thanks to his explosive front-running style, Kachy remains one of the most popular horses to grace the All-Weather, landing successive renewals of the Cleves Stakes as well as the 2019 Betway All-Weather Sprint Championship.

A track record holder over six furlongs at Lingfield Park and Wolverhampton, Kachy tragically incurred a fatal injury in February.

Owner Dave Lowe said: "It is a lovely touch to have a race renamed in Kachy's honour, especially a Stakes race as that is something we can look forward to every year.

"The Cleves was always Kachy's first big target of the All-Weather season and it was a really special day when he broke the track record there in 2019.

"A big thanks must go to the team at ARC and Betway for making this happen, it is a real privilege."

Betway PR Manager Chad Yeomans said:

"We are delighted to support the race name change of the Betway Cleves Stakes to the Betway Kachy Stakes.

"Kachy was a trailblazer for his enthusiastic owner Dave Lowe and his family, and helped raise the profile of the All-Weather Championships.

"We want to extend our thanks to ARC, the Lowe family and all of those involved that have helped to make this happen. It is a fitting way to remember a great horse."

Kachy_wins_Betway_Cleves_Stakes_easily_020219.jpg

Kachy breaking the track record in the 2019 Betway Cleves Stakes

Lowe's All-Weather team for this season is set to be headed by talented two-year-old Caroline Dale and progressive sprinter Fizzy Feet, who won four times on the All-Weather last season. Both horses are trained by David Loughnane.

Lowe said: "We have two lovely fillies to look forward to in Caroline Dale and Fizzy Feet.

"Caroline Dale finished third in the Queen Mary Stakes at the start of the season and has backed that up with three really solid performances.

"We gave her a break after she finished third in the Listed race at Newbury [in August] and she came back into training a couple of weeks ago.

Her first target is the Fast-Track Qualifier at Wolverhampton on December 5.

"Fizzy Feet was actually entered in the Cleves Stakes last season, but we didn't declare her.

"She has improved immensely over the last 12 months or so and it would be a nice story if we could get her to the Kachy Stakes.

"Just to have a runner in the race named after the best horse you have ever owned would be lovely, but to win it would be unreal."

Yazaman sets standard in opening Fast-Track Qualifier -

Desert Gulf aiming to maintain unbeaten record

Newcastle's eight-race programme is headlined by the first Fast-Track Qualifier of the season, with five runners set to line up in the Play Ladbrokes 5-A-Side On Football Conditions Stakes (3.35pm) over six furlongs.

The winner of the Tapeta contest will secure a starting berth in the Ladbrokes Three-Year-Old All-Weather Championship over the same distance on Finals Day.

Yazaman (William Haggas/Danny Tudhope) has an official rating of 101 after several good efforts in Pattern company, most notably when second in the G2 July Stakes at Newmarket.

He wears cheekpieces for the first time after coming fourth in the G3 Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket on September 24.

Middleham trainer Karl Burke, who landed this race in 2017 with Beatbox Rhythm, is represented by Significantly (Clifford Lee).

The Garswood colt has made the frame in six of his seven starts, including a second in the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown Park in July.

Desert Gulf (William Knight/Callum Shepherd) is one of two runners in the race with winning form on the All-Weather.

Saif Ali's Kodiac colt produced a promising debut performance at Wolverhampton on September 29, when he defeated 99-rated rival Lauded by a neck.

Trainer William Knight said:

"I was impressed by Desert Gulf at Wolverhampton, being able to beat that horse of Tom Dascombe's, as our horses usually improve a good bit from their first run.

"I expected him to run well but to win was a bit of a surprise, simply because of what we had done with him at home. We had left plenty to work on, even though he had been showing up quite nicely in his work.

"I expect the track at Newcastle to really suit him. William Haggas' horse sets a good standard, but I think Desert Gulf could be pretty smart."

Knight has 21 per cent strike rate (three winners from 14 runners) on the All-Weather at Newcastle and a level stakes profit of +£31.50.

The other runner with All-Weather form is Victory Heights (James Tate/P J McDonald), a winner at Newcastle in June who is having his second start since undergoing wind surgery.

Blackberry (Bryan Smart/Graham Lee), the only filly in the field, has won three of her four starts on turf, latterly coming from last to first in a conditions race at Musselburgh on September 12.

She wears a hood for the first time.

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.

The 24 Fast-Track Qualifiers are scheduled as follows:

Category Date Racecourse Dist Race Winner 3YO October 20 Newcastle 6f Conditions

FILLIES & MARES October 29 Lingfield Park 8f Fleur de Lys (Listed)

FILLIES & MARES November 13 Dundalk (IRE) 8f Cooley (Listed)

MIDDLE DISTANCE November 14 Lingfield Park 10f Churchill (Listed)

SPRINT November 14 Lingfield Park 6f Golden Rose (Listed)

MILE November 18 Kempton Park 8f Hyde (Listed)

MIDDLE DISTANCE November 25 Deauville (FR) 10f Lyphard (Listed) 3YO December 5 Wolverhampton 6f Conditions

MARATHON December 12 Newcastle 16f Conditions *

FILLIES & MARES January 3 Wolverhampton 7f Conditions *

SPRINT January 8 Newcastle 5f Conditions *MILE January 8 Newcastle 8f Conditions *

MARATHON January 13 Wolverhampton 16f Conditions *3YO January 20 Kempton Park 6f Conditions *

SPRINT February 1 Lingfield Park 6f Kachy (Listed) *

MIDDLE DISTANCE February 1 Lingfield Park 10f Winter Derby Trial (Listed) *

FILLIES & MARES February 13 Chelmsford City 8f Conditions *

MILE February 15 Cagnes-sur-Mer (FR) 8f Saonois (Listed) *

MARATHON February 16 Kempton Park 16f Conditions *

MIDDLE DISTANCE February 22 Lingfield Park 10f Winter Derby (Group 3) *3YO February 29 Lingfield Park 7f Spring Cup (Listed) *

SPRINT March 3 Chantilly (FR) 6f Conditions *

MILE March 7 Wolverhampton 7f Lady Wulfruna (Listed) *

MARATHON March 7 Chelmsford City 16f Conditions *

Note, dates and venues provisional at time of publication; these details will be updated once a Fixture List for 2021 has been published.

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