The valuable All-Weather Championships for 2017 are set to take place on Good Friday, April 14, and few trainers will be counting down to the valuable day's racing more keenly than Charlie Fellowes, who is set to be represented by Carolinae (GB) (Makfi {GB}) in the 32Red All-Weather Fillies' And Mares' Championships Conditions S.
The Meon Valley Stud-bred 5-year-old has been a star turn for the young Newmarket trainer throughout the winter, winning three of her five starts on the synthetic surface and never finishing outside the first three. Her most recent win came at Lingfield over a mile, a furlong more than she will have to run on finals' day.
“She's been a superstar this winter and is a filly I've always believed in,” said Fellowes. “She's done well and is very unlucky not to have won two good handicaps at Wolverhampton, but she got a bit of justice winning the second one.
“She won a conditions race at Lingfield last time out, which was a very uncompetitive race, but seven furlongs in the fillies' and mares' final will suit her. She has won there before and she likes a strong pace, as she has got a turn of foot.”
He added, “We have just been keeping her ticking over as she has run a lot this winter and we will now start building her up for Good Friday. Hopefully she will go there as an in-form filly, nicely freshened up.”
Good Friday was traditionally a blank day in the British racing calendar but Arena Racing Company was given the go-ahead to stage a meeting at Lingield on the proviso that the races carried a decent level of prize-money. Thus, in 2014 the All-Weather Championships were born, with qualifying races held throughout the winter building up to a £1 million race day on Good Friday. The card features six races, comprising championships in the categories of 3-year-olds, sprint, mile, marathon, fillies and mares, and middle distance.
For Carolinae, the priority will be given to enhancing her paddock value through the summer, but not before she's had a shot at a valuable pot.
Fellowes said, “I always thought she was stakes class and after this, getting some black type will be her number one priority. Good Friday is such good prize-money that we must go there first, though.”
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