The All-Weather Championships step up a gear this weekend with a pair of Listed Fast-Track Qualifiers at Lingfield Park on Saturday, November 14.
The £40,000 Unibet Golden Rose Stakes (2.35pm) over six furlongs has attracted 17 entries, including eight rated 100 or more. They are headed by dual Group Three winner Goken, who could have his first start for Kevin Ryan, All-Weather stalwart Chookie Royale (Keith Dalgleish) and Polybius (David Lanigan), a Group Three third at Ascot last time out. Lightscameraction (pictured)(Gay Kelleway), who captured the inaugural Unibet Three-Year-Old Sprint Championship on Good Friday, is also engaged along with last year's Unibet Golden Rose Stakes victor Intransigent (Andrew Balding) and Stewards' Cup third Rivellino (Karl Burke). The successful horse gains a free place in the £150,000 Unibet All-Weather Sprint Championship on Finals Day, Good Friday, March 25, 2016. Irish raider Jamesie (David Marnane) is set for a quick reappearance after three good runs on the Polytrack at Dundalk, most recently when second in six-furlong handicap on November 6. Prior to that, the seven-year-old annexed a competitive six-furlong race on October 6 and stayed on strongly take fifth behind Take Cover in the Listed Mercury Stakes over five furlongs on October 23. Jamesie has some high-class form to his name, headlined by a nose victory over multiple Group One victor Gordon Lord Byron in the six-furlong Group Three Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh in August, 2014. Marnane said: "It is looking likely that Jamesie will run at Lingfield Park on Saturday. "It will be his second run during the championships and the plan is to give him a break after this. We will then bring him back for a prep run with a view to possibly running on Good Friday. "He has got a bit to find on ratings at the weekend but Jamesie seems to step up on certain days. I think a lot of it depends on the how the race is set up for him. The race didn't suit him on Friday but he ran a cracker in the Mercury over five furlongs which is just too sharp for him. "I think the six furlongs around Lingfield will suit him well as they tend to go quicker around there. "I would say Dubai is the off the cards for him this year. The programme doesn't quite suit him. He has had a busy enough campaign as well and I would like to give him a break." Other eye-catching entries include Group One King's Stand Stakes runner-up Medicean Man (Jeremy Gask) and Godolphin's twice-raced Hold Tight (Saeed bin Suroor), who is a half-brother to Group One-winning sprinters Airwave and Jwala. The winner of the £45,000 coral.co.uk Churchill Stakes (3.10pm, 19 entries) will be guaranteed a start in the £200,000 Coral Easter Classic on Good Friday. Group Three winner Maverick Wave (John Gosden) is top-rated thanks to a Group Three success at Chester in May. Godolphin has also entered Let's Go (Saeed bin Suroor), who was touched off by Tryster at Chelmsford City recently, Festive Fare (Charlie Appleby) and Tempus Temporis (John Gosden). Battalion (William Haggas) took the spoils 12 months ago and comes in on the back of a Listed success at Goodwood in September. All-Weather regulars Fire Fighting (Mark Johnston) and Grendisar (Marco Botti) are also engaged. The seven-race programme at Lingfield Park gets underway at 12.15pm and ends at 3.45pm.
