Menu
Sponsors

FRONTIERSMAN HEADS MARATHON FAST-TRACK QUALIFIER CONTENDERS

Fast Track Qualifiers
|

14 January 2018

Frontiersman, runner-up to Highland Reel in last year's G1 Coronation Cup, features among an excellent field of 11 for the £19,000 Betway Live Casino Conditions Race (6.40pm) at Wolverhampton on Monday, January 15. The extended two-mile Tapeta contest is a Fast-Track Qualifier, with the winner receiving a free and guaranteed place in the £150,000 Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships over two miles on Polytrack at Lingfield Park on Good Friday, March 30. Five-year-old Frontiersman (Charlie Appleby/Adam Kirby) steps up in distance for his All-Weather debut following several notable efforts over shorter on turf last season, including a comfortable victory in a 12-furlong Listed race at Newmarket in September. Charlie Appleby, who trains for Godolphin in Newmarket, commented: "Frontiersman has been working well on the All-Weather at home. "We always wanted to try him over this trip and we might as well have a go on the All-Weather as they tend to go a bit steadier, which will give him every chance of staying. "He gives us every indication that he will get two miles and this will hopefully tell us whether to try and make him a Cup horse or to continue over a mile and a half in the spring. "If he wins, it opens up a couple of options over the winter, including going out to Dubai or keeping him here for Finals Day." Funny Kid (Christophe Ferland/Maxime Guyon) has shown a high level of All-Weather form in France and heads to Wolverhampton on the back of a decisive win in a Deauville handicap over an extended mile and a half in November. Cape Cova (Michael Appleby/Dougie Costello) and last year's Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships second Watersmeet (Mark Johnston/Joe Fanning) re-oppose after chasing home Mountain Bell in a Marathon Fast-Track Qualifier at Newcastle on December 16. De Coronado (Shane Kelly), a full-brother to the outstanding 13-time G1 winner Zenyatta, makes his debut for Seamus Durack, having previously won twice on Polytrack at Dundalk, Ireland, for Aidan O'Brien. Veteran stayers Curbyourenthusiasm (David Simcock/Jamie Spencer), runner-up in the 2016 G2 Betway Yorkshire Cup, and First Mohican (Alan King/Hollie Doyle) have also been declared alongside Vettori Rules (Gay Kelleway/Josephine Gordon), who dead-heated in a Chelmsford City handicap on January 4. The field is completed by Jukebox Jive (Anthony Honeyball/Franny Norton), fourth in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newmarket in September, St Mary's (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy) and Counterfeiter (Martin Bosley/Robert Havlin).

All Weather Championships

Racecourse logo

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest news, events and special offers direct to your inbox.