Newcastle hosted a feast of All-Weather Championships action on Saturday, with Onesmoothoperator providing trainer Brian Ellison with his third win in the Virgin Bet November Handicap.
Onesmoothoperator has now won or placed on eight of 10 appearances at Newcastle, including finishing third in the Marathon Championship on Finals Day in 2022.
Shadwell filly Mukaddamah produced the standout performance on the card as she recorded a near four-length victory in the Listed Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Irish EBF Gillies Fillies' Stakes, leading home a one-two for Roger Varian in the process.
Tacarib Bay turned over odds-on favourite Sense Of Duty in the Listed Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Wentworth Stakes. Richard Hannon’s charge, who ran in the 2022 G1 2,000 Guineas, was only tackling six furlongs for a second time in his career after scoring on debut over the trip in May 2021.
Prolific sprinter Brewing looks a likely candidate for Finals Day after making a successful return in the six-furlong handicap. Trained by William Haggas, the four-year-old has raced exclusively on the all-weather, registering four wins and a second from five outings.
Newcomers Diligent Resdev (Mick & David Easterby) and Lion’s House (Roger Varian) claimed each division of the Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Cock O'The North EBF Maiden, with the former part-owned by professional golfer Lee Westwood.
In Ireland, Many Tears lowered the colours of several higher-rated rivals with a comfortable success in the Listed Cooley Stakes at Dundalk on Friday. Trainer Ger Lyons has indicated that the daughter of Showcasing could head to the sales next month.
Elsewhere, Easter Classic runner-up Base Note (Simon & Ed Crisford) posted a career-best on his comeback at Chelmsford on Thursday, when he defeated Believe In Stars by two lengths. William Knight’s Frost At Dawn was an eye-catching novice winner on the same card.
The Richard Fahey-trained Admiral D captured the big prize at Kempton Park on Wednesday as he denied Baldomero in the Unibet London Sprint Series Final, with last season’s Fillies’ & Mares’ Championship runner-up Aramis Grey back in third.
Sir Chauvelin belied his advancing years as he wore down Sleeping Lion in the other class two handicap on the card. Jim Goldie’s 11-year-old was also successful on the final night of Racing League at Southwell in September.
Champion Apprentice Billy Loughnane has extended his lead at the top of the All-Weather Champion Jockey standings, with five wins over the past week including a brilliant display on Spangled Mac at Newcastle on Friday.
His tally of 16 winners moves him six clear of former champion Luke Morris, Oisin Murphy and Rossa Ryan.
The race for the £30,000 All-Weather Bonus prize covering October & November is hotting up, with Sydney Bay (Geoff Harker), The Caltonian (Linda Perratt) and Intoxica (Ed Dunlop) tied first on 14 points thanks to two wins and a second. Four horses – Star Of St Louis (Matt Crawley), Light Speed (Andrew Balding), Monks Dream (Tim Easterby) and Moon Flight (Sir Mark Prescott) – are next in on 10 points.
| Horse | New Rating | Rise |
| Safety Catch | 96 | 13 |
| Queues Likely | 75 | +9 |
| Evening Story | 78 | +7 |
| Wynter Wildes | 93 | +7 |
| Coco Jamboo | 94 | +6 |
| Ecclesiastical | 75 | +6 |
| Eldrickjones | 85 | +6 |
| Kyle of Lochalsh | 79 | +6 |
| Mother Margaret | 78 | +6 |
| Mukaddamah | 104 | +6 |
| Al Agaila | 100 | +5 |
| Aqwaam | 81 | +5 |
| Base Note | 107 | +5 |
| Tacarib Bay | 106 | +5 |
