All-Weather Finals Day: Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond previews six Championship finales including Easter Classic | Racing News

Sky Sports Racing presenter Alex Hammond looks ahead to the Good Friday action at Newcastle and provides her All-Weather Championships Finals Day selections.

Now that the Grand National is done and dusted it’s easier to fully focus on the (almost always) smaller and (generally) faster horses of the flat racing season.

I’m making the journey north to Newcastle to cover All-Weather Finals Day on Good Friday for Sky Sports Racing and after six months of hard-fought competition we get to celebrate the end of the winter and the beginning of spring with this superb day’s racing.

It’s something that was denied to us two years ago thanks to covid, and last year’s finale was held behind closed doors, so the fact the finals are moving to Newcastle seems fitting, as there should be a jovial crowd to enjoy the racing with us.

The season has been a triumph for a number of horses and humans and these championships have proven that once again the quality improves year on year.

We have international competitors, Group One performers and Classic-winning trainers represented on Friday and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Here’s a look through the six finals…

Mile Championships – 2.00

My Oberon is the class act in this field and comes into the contest as the leader in his category. He is a genuine Group One performer having gone close in the Prix D’Ispahan when third to Skalleti, and fourth in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes behind Love.

He was gelded in October so trainer William Haggas will be hoping he finds some consistency now and can continue to pay his way in some valuable races. This race looks at his mercy and he’s Sky Bet’s 2/1 favourite.

The firm are offering money back as cash if you are 2nd or 3rd here, so it may be worth considering the Joseph O’Brien-trained San Andreas with that offer in mind should the favourite underperform.

Sprint Championships – 2.35

This race looks wide-open with some old favourites in the line-up as well as some improving sorts. Karl Burke’s Spycatcher is an exciting prospect given the manner of his win at Lingfield last time out, and when chatting to my Sky colleague Laurent Barbarin on Wednesday, he suggested that Bouttemont was the pick of the two runners from Yann Barberot’s French stable.

However, I’m hoping Volatile Analyst can bring his A-game to the races and run a big race for Keith Dalgleish and Callum Rodriguez. He’s a fiery character but put his best foot forward to win the Cammidge at Doncaster nicely at the recent Lincoln meeting and I’m hoping he can bring that form to the tapeta surface at Newcastle. He’s 15/2 third favourite.

Three-Year-Old Championships – 3.10

William Haggas is the leading trainer on Final’s Day with four victories to date, and he holds strong claims once again with Tiber Flow here. This horse, he told us on Sky Sports Racing this week, had to undergo four general anaesthetics in six weeks as a two-year-old and is a tough individual.

There is so much potential amongst the runners and El Caballo sets the standard for Karl Burke, but Tiber Flow may well bring that toughness to Newcastle once again and maintain his unbeaten record. He’s 3/1 with Sky Bet.

Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships – 3.45

Highfield Princess is a Royal Ascot winner and is hot favourite (7/4) to win this championship race for John Quinn and Jason Hart.

The booking of Frankie Dettori by leading trainer Mick Appleby for Khatwah certainly catches the eye. At 20/1 she will be popular with each-way punters I’m sure, but she has a bit to prove on her last two runs.

Internationalangel is a great advertisement for her trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam’s skills. She has improved a whopping 33lbs since she joined her new stable and the improvement may not have stopped yet. She’s 9/4 with Sky Bet, which appeals more than the price of the favourite.

Marathon Championships – 4.15

This looks a tough race but at 16/1 I’m prepared to take a chance on Onesmoothoperator making the top three for Brian Ellison. He’s had a dose of seconditis recently but is talented and is considered a Northumberland Plate prospect by his handler.

Incidentally, there is a French-trained horse running at Lingfield called Honor And Pleasure who had the choice of running in this. I think he’d have had claims here and must go very well in the “consolation” at 1.45pm with William Buick booked.

Easter Classic – 4.45

This is all about the stunning-looking Tyrrhenian Sea for me. The flashy grey colt lost his unbeaten record at Kempton last time out when looking desperately unlucky. He got stuck behind a wall of horses (some achievement with just six runners, but that’s All-Weather racing for you) and had to accept defeat.

That was his first try at this mile-and-a-quarter trip and he should gain compensation here. His trainer thinks he will go on to be a smart performer and whilst he may not appeal at 4/5 fav, I hope he wins.