All-Weather Finals Day Tips: Tom Collins believes Manaafith will bow out on a high

The transition from all-weather to turf racing will officially happen on Good Friday as our leading synthetic performers - equine and human - will compete for big prizes at Newcastle and Lingfield.

All-Weather Finals Day will attract an almighty bank holiday crowd to Gosforth Park, and they could do far worse than back Manaafith in the Fillies’ and Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes (4.10 Newcastle).

This Shadwell-owned filly has been almost exclusively kept to synthetic surfaces in her short career, which seems an extremely good decision given her unbeaten six-out-of-six all-weather record. Trainer Roger Varian has played the long game with Manaafith, and she rewarded him with an impressive last-to-first Listed victory in the Tandridge Stakes at Lingfield 62 days ago.

Her main asset is push-button acceleration and, although she has 5lb to find with her aforementioned opponent on official ratings, William Haggas’ runner is coming off a longer layoff, will have more important turf targets down the line and tends to take a stride or three to quicken. The latter could be her downfall against Manaafith.

Those looking for a bigger price should divulge themselves in the Listed Burradon Stakes (1.15) that begins the Newcastle card. Course winners Arabian Storm and Obelix head the market and rightly so given the ease of their recent victories and powerful connections. However, there’s significant strength in depth in this heat and it may pay to oppose the lightly raced jollies from a value perspective. 

I’m going to take a shot on Ed Bethell’s Oviedo. This son of Lope De Vega made a promising start to his career at Doncaster last summer before finishing third in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes behind Chaldean, who was one of the best two-year-olds in the country last season. His two subsequent efforts came on testing ground, which he didn’t seem to handle, so strike a line through those.

Oviedo, who looked green on occasions last year, should have improved a great deal mentally over the winter and has to be of interest now that he switches to the all-weather and goes up a furlong in trip. We already know that he can win first time up, and he doesn’t have much to find on figures.

It feels odd to not tip at Lingfield on All-Weather Finals day, so here’s one from the Surrey venue that could be worth an each-way tickle. 

Brett Johnson’s Dembe won the 1m2f handicap (3.50) on the card last year and looks primed to retain his crown. This five-year-old produced a late surge to belly odds of 10/1 that day and is winless in seven subsequent attempts, but he’s been performing close to his best of late and has been freshened up ahead of this contest.

Jamie Spencer, who has never ridden for Johnson, takes the mount and he’s drawn nicely in stall two. With a strong pace likely, Dembe can stalk in mid-division before laying down his challenge inside the final 100 yards. This is a stronger line-up than 12 months ago, but he should be bang on the premises.

Friday's All-Weather Tips

Oviedo (1.15 Newcastle) @ 8
Dembe (3.50 Lingfield) @ 11
Manaafith (4.10 Newcastle) @ 2.3