The All-Weather Sprint Championships is a Conditions Stakes run over 6 furlongs and 1 yard. It forms part of All-Weather Finals Day which takes place on Good Friday (April 19) at Lingfield Park Racecourse. The 2019 edition will be the fifth running of the race, with the previous renewals being won by City Light, Kimberella, Alben Star (twice), and Pretend.
All-Weather Sprint Championships Five-Year-Trends
- Two four-year-olds, one six-year-old, one seven-year-old, and one eight-year-old have won
- Winners have been rated between 100 and 109
- One favourite and one joint-favourite have won
- SP’s of the winners have ranged from 6/5 to 25/1
- Richard Fahey has trained three of the five winners
All-Weather Sprint Championships 2019 Main Contenders
Kachy
Six-year-old who seems to continue to get better with age, having claimed the track records at Wolverhampton and over course and distance on his last two starts. Those performances have earned him a rating of 112, four pounds higher than his nearest rival. He was beaten into second by French-raider City Light last year but still managed to beat the previous winner Kimberella into third.
Encrypted
Looking to make it two successive winning four-year-olds and there was much to like about the way he tracked a brutal pace over course and distance last time but had enough in reserve to fend off two useful finishers. That was his first run over course and distance so, though he enjoyed a perfect passage, he could have further improvement to come. Connections certainly think he might have as they have booked Ryan Moore to do the steering.
Forza Capitano
The bookies aren’t taking too many chances with this foreign raider after last year’s win for City Light, and he has already won a Listed Race in France. Only time will tell if he’s good enough, but he got within three lengths of the high-class Sand Of Mali in France last year, so may not be that far away.
Above The Rest
Officially the joint-second highest-rated horse in the field on a mark of 108, and he got within a length of Encrypted last time when conceding that rival five pounds. However, his best form has come over seven-furlongs and, whilst he may be closing late, the faster horses may be out of reach by then.
George Bowen
Worth a mention as he’s trained by Richard Fahey who has won three of the five editions of this race. He wasn’t at his best on his only previous run at Lingfield, but that was over five furlongs, and he’s much better over a fast-run six furlongs. He will get that here, but the balance of his form leaves him with something to find.
All-Weather Sprint Championships 2019 Summary
Kachy deserves to be favourite after clocking a course record time over course and distance last time, but he’s odds-on and doesn’t look unbeatable. The each-way play against him looks to be Encrypted, whose run last-time suggested he might have what it takes to track him and pounce late and Ryan Moore looks the right jockey to carry out those tactics.
All-Weather Sprint Championships Tip
- Encrypted (Each-Way)