Newcastle tips: Declan Rix’s best bets for All-Weather Championships Finals Day | Racing News

At The Races’ Declan Rix puts forward his top fancies for All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle – live on Sky Sports Racing.

Roi De France

3.00 Newcastle – All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+) – 1m5y

A field of 14 here chasing the first prize of £77,310 which can hopefully go the way of the lightly-raced and well-bred ROI DE FRANCE. The son of Sea The Stars may not get a better chance to win such a lucrative pot this season before his connections likely return to the turf.

With this race in mind, however, it’s obviously encouraging the four-year-old has plenty of all-weather form in the book, half of his lifetime starts coming on an artificial surface for form figures of 2123. The John and Thady Gosden-trained inmate has never run at Newcastle, competing at Lingfield and Kempton in his quartet of all-weather runs, but his half-brother Vaguely Royal (by Galileo) did win here in 2023 over 12 furlongs.

As his pedigree suggests, Friday’s step back up to a mile looks a big plus given his prep run came over an inadequate seven furlongs at Kempton 23 days ago, the sharpness of that test exacerbated by a lack of pace on the front end. Under the circumstances, it was a sound run, his first in 112 days which surely means he is entitled to improve from it.

From stall 16, Roi De France will need a bit of luck and/or a good ride from champion jockey Oisin Murphy, as I don’t see a lot of pace in the contest on paper, meaning it could get messy if the field stay on the stands’ side rail. A slightly more forward ride may help keep things simple, especially with a touch of a tailwind forecast.

Heathcliff

3.35 Newcastle – BetUK All-Weather Sprint Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+) – 6f

Again, a field of 14 competes for the top prize of £77,310 in what is another hugely competitive contest. Take your pick, plenty have chances, but maybe HEATHCLIFF can put his good course knowledge to use and come with a late run to score.

Every single one of the four-year-old’s 12-career starts have come on an artificial surface, with the son of Iffraaj producing form figures of 214 here at Newcastle. On his last start at the track on January 17, James Fanshawe’s inmate had little luck in late running behind the reopposing Marshman (selection now 7lb better off for one and three-quarter lengths) and in truth, that’s somewhat been the story of his season so far.

Last time out at Kempton, Heathcliff again had a luckless late run, a stumble out of the gates putting him in a poor tactical position in a steadily-run race, with him never able to fully recover. To be fair to the horse, he still travelled into the race nicely before being badly stopped.

Connections may have been tearing their hair out all season with such misfortune, but, on the plus side, it means the handicapper has only raised him 1lb and all that pain will be worthwhile if he is able to bag this good pot.

Fanshawe’s stable jockey Daniel Muscutt rides another horse from the yard in Willem Twee, who interestingly sports first-time cheekpieces, but he possibly couldn’t do the 8st 8lb allocated to Heathcliff so it’s maybe unwise to read anything too significant into jockey bookings.

Salamanca

4.07 Newcastle – Easter Classic Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+) – 1m2f42y

Jane Chapple-Hyam is the only trainer with two horses in this year’s Easter Classic, previous Royal Ascot winner Claymore along with SALAMANCA declared, the former running in his trainer’s owns colours.

Claymore has often raced prominently in his career and I wonder could he be in here to try and tee the contest up for his better-fancied stablemate in this £175,000 handicap? Salamanca has often raced in an active manner, as the sporting of a first-time cross-noseband last time out suggests, and pace has always looked like it would help him.

In a race appearing to lack pace on paper, if I have read this right, Claymore’s inclusion could well be a shrewd move by Chapple-Hyam whose inmate had little chance of winning from the rear at Chelmsford last time out, at a track that often suits prominent racers. Given his significant market drift and how the race panned out, it was a big run from the son of Sea The Stars.

Still only four and with just five career starts under his belt, you’d like to think there is more to come this year given his dam Awesometank improved from two to three and again from three to four. Maybe, just maybe, both Chapple-Hyam inmates will slide along and dictate the nature of this race.

Another four-year-old in CHARLOTTE’S WEB is also worth supporting. This will absolutely be the toughest start of her career, but she loves the all-weather, has winning course and distance form and is tactically versatile. Should she win, Liam Wright’s 5lb claim may well be what gets her home.

Roaring Legend

4.42 Newcastle – All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap (Class 2) (4yo+) – 2m56y

The concluding Marathon sees a battle of the Legends, with Roaring set to take on Wonder, among 12 others. Hopefully it’s ROARING LEGEND who can come out on top in his search for a fourth win on the bounce.

That hat-trick has come on the all-weather, including a success over this course and distance two starts back off a rating of 92. Hugo Palmer’s inmate must race off 104 and carry top weight, but on the evidence of his latest Lingfield success, he may well be up to the challenge.

Forty-nine days ago the son of Roaring Lion was devastating under David Probert, bolting up by a not-fully-extended five lengths in a race where he clocked a sub 11-second penultimate furlong. Such was the impression he made, connections were hoping to receive an invite for the Group Two Dubai Gold Cup, but none came.

Dubai’s loss might well be Newcastle’s gain, however, connections clearly feeling they have a Group horse in a handicap. It won’t be easy, but if the race proves to be tactical, which can often be the case over these kinds of trips, we know Roaring Legend possesses the class and gears.

Watch All-Weather Championships Finals Day, live on Sky Sports Racing on Friday April 18.