Connections of Carbine Harvester are relishing the idea of All-Weather Championships Finals Day after the three-year-old completed a hat-trick of handicap wins at Lingfield Park last week.
Lining up on the back of victories at Wolverhampton and Southwell, William Haggas’ runner raced prominently before showing all his battling qualities to deny the closing Brosay by a head.
The son of Hello Youmzain has a revised rating of 82, having started his winning streak off a mark of 68 in early December.
Co-owner Jeff Randall, a former leading business journalist, said: “It is ridiculous how much pleasure this gives us. This is a horse that I genuinely believed three races ago we were going to give away to a riding club somewhere in the Cotswolds. Now we are dreaming of All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle.
“It was terrific. Harry [Burns] did everything we asked. These apprentices, it is tough for them, but he did a lovely job. He had to ping the lids and he did that. We are delighted.
“The rewards from this are not financial but emotional. They can’t be bought. I love this game. Lingfield has always been a good racecourse for me, not particularly lucky, but I have always enjoyed it here.
“I really fancied our horse today. I don’t know what has happened [in terms of improvement], you will have to ask William Haggas – trainer for The King, of course. We must be his most impoverished owners by a million miles! Somehow, he has ended up with this horse, but we are grateful. William, thank you, we love it.”
Chelmsford hosted a couple of valuable contests on Saturday, with Apiarist taking the feature mile handicap for Kevin Ryan and Richard Hannon’s Rebel Empire springing a 20/1 surprise in a six-furlong handicap.
Tadreeb continued his brilliant start to 2025 as he brought up a hat-trick of victories at Lingfield Park, placing Rod Millman’s runner in pole position for January’s AW Horse of the Month bonus.
Jim Goldie’s Midnight Lion is in contention for the same prize after completing a three-timer over Newcastle’s 10-furlong course, with two of those wins coming this month. The five-year-old could make a quick reappearance at the track’s AWC Trials Day fixture on Friday.
Northern Ruler is also entered for Newcastle’s AWC Trials Day, having made an impressive start for Karl Burke in an extended 12-furlong novice at the course last week.
Godolphin three-year-old Treasure Fleet caught the eye as he made a successful introduction over an extended mile at Wolverhampton. Trained by Charlie Appleby, the son of Kingman cost 800,000 guineas at the breeze-ups.
Over in Ireland, the Dermot Weld-trained Brosna Town could be one to watch in the Marathon division after he got up in the final stride of a 12-furlong handicap at Dundalk, with connections eyeing a step up in trip for the four-year-old.
Hector Crouch has started the year strongly and now leads Luke Morris by five in the race to be crowned all-weather champion jockey, while Tony Carroll is eight clear of James Owen in the trainer standings after sending out 11 winners in the last fortnight.
