The Evens favourite Corinthia Knight won for the first time over six furlongs in the £25,000 Matchbook Betting Podcast Conditions Race on Polytrack at Kempton Park this evening, Tuesday, January 16. Success in this Fast-Track Qualifier gave Corinthia Knight, trained by Archie Watson in Upper Lambourn and partnered by Edward Greatrex, a guaranteed free start in the £150,000 32Red Three-Year-Old All-Weather Championships over the same distance on Polytrack at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, March 30. Held up in third of the five runners on the outside, he came through to challenge Danzan (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy, 6/4) in the straight and had to be switched right as the leader drifted left closing off a gap. Corinthia Knight ran on well to go to the front just inside the final furlong and had a length and a quarter advantage at the line, which he passed in 1m 11.53s. This was his fourth victory, with the other three all coming over five furlongs on the All-Weather last year. 50/1 chance Hello Girl (Dean Ivory/Jack Duern) finished third, a length and three quarters adrift of the runner-up. Watson, who started training in 2016 and enjoyed 56 winners in his first full year in 2017, has made a fine start to 2018, with Corinthia Knight being his fourth success from 13 runners. He commented: "The aim all winter for Corinthia Knight has been the 32Red Three-Year-Old All-Weather Championships on Good Friday. "I thought he stayed the six furlongs nicely tonight. He has often made the running, but I discussed it with Edward Greatrex and we reckoned there would be plenty of pace on so we decided to hold him up. "It worked out well and gives us another string to our bow. He is probably somewhere between a five-furlong and a six-furlong horse. "He is tough and very professional. I bought him with Tom Goff at Tattersalls Ireland in Fairyhouse for 15,000 euros as a yearling - Society Rock is a stallion I like. "There is only one race we can run Corinthia Knight in before the Final and that is another Fast-Track Qualifier at Newcastle on February 21 (over five furlongs). All being well, we will go there." Corinthia Knight is owned by a syndicate of Ontoawinner, plus partner.
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