Trainer Ralph Beckett has two runners at Lingfield Park tomorrow as he chases a second success on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, April 2.
The Kimpton handler saddles Rock Eagle (Rossa Ryan) in the Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships (2.00pm, 1m 7f 169y, seven runners), a race he captured in 2016 with Moonrise Landing.
Rock Eagle was fifth in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket in the autumn and has posted three good efforts on the All-Weather this winter.
Jeff Smith’s six-year-old captured a two-mile handicap at Kempton Park in November and was beaten a neck by Ranch Hand (Andrew Balding/James Doyle) on his latest start in a Fast-Track Qualifier at Chelmsford City on March 13.
Later on the card, Beckett runs unexposed four-year-old Fox Duty Free (Silvestre de Sousa) in the Bombardier All-Weather Mile Championships (4.45pm, 10 runners).
Fox Duty Free has looked a reformed character since joining Beckett and is unbeaten in three starts at Lingfield Park this season, most recently taking out a mile class two handicap on December 31.
Beckett said: “Both Rock Eagle and Fox Duty Free go to Lingfield in good shape.
“Rock Eagle is coming in off a good run at Chelmsford. I think he has every chance in the Marathon.
“Fox Duty Free has done well for his holiday. He had an away day last week, which went well.
“He obviously has something to find on the figures, but we probably haven’t got to the bottom of him yet.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow as they both have chances, I think.”
Trainer Karl Burke has leading claims with Exalted Angel (Clifford Lee) in the six-furlong Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships (3.10pm, 12 runners).
The five-year-old relished the step up to six furlongs in the Listed Betway Kachy Stakes at Lingfield Park on February 6, in which he wore down Fizzy Feet to score by a neck.
Burke said: “Exalted Angel is on his way down to Lingfield this afternoon. He seems to be in great order and fingers crossed we get another good run out of him.
“We have always thought a lot of this horse, but he had a lot of niggly problems early on. Although he is from a fast family, they are not necessarily a precocious family and seem to get better with age.”
