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A classy field of fourteen declared for the £200,000 feature on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle.
A full field of fourteen has been declared for the £200,000 ten-furlong feature on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle on Friday, with the rapidly progressive Oh So Grand looking for win number four in a row.
The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained filly has gone from strength to strength in recent months, landing the Winter Oaks Trial in comfortable fashion at Lingfield in December before following up in the finale over the same course and distance a month later.
The improving four-year-old was hit with an 8lb rise for her latest success but Simon Crisford, co-trainer of Oh So Grand is expecting further progression from the daughter of Postponed.
He said: "Oh So Grand has had a very good winter and remains in good form for this race. She will need to improve again, but we think there is more to come from her."
Oh So Grand will be joined by stablemate Base Note at Newcastle on Good Friday. Crisford said of the five-time AW winner: "Base Note found life a little tougher in a handicap last time, but he has been working well recently and loves the all-weather."
Owners AMO Racing and jockey David Egan have already enjoyed big-race success this season courtesy of Mr Professor landing the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster last weekend, and connections will be hoping their representative Elegant Man can make a striking impact on his handicap debut.
Runner-up to the classy Rebel's Romance in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton in December, the Adrian Murray-trained Elegant Man quickly regained the winning thread at Dundalk last month and the County Westmeath-based handler is hopeful of a fruitful visit across the Irish Sea.
"I think he is a very good horse," said Murray. "There is plenty more to come from him and he should be up to running in Group 3 and Group 2 races. The track at Newcastle should be no bother to him, as he has been strong at the finish in all his races, and we are expecting a big run."
Penzance has proved a shrewd purchase for new owners The Horsewatchers, winning four of his five outings since joining Mick Appleby from Simon and Ed Crisford in November last year. The upwardly mobile son of Wootton Bassett completed the four-timer in impressive style in the AWC Middle Distance Trial Handicap at Lingfield earlier in the month, teeing up a tilt at this valuable prize on Good Friday.
"It will be his most difficult task so far, but he seems to have improved again from his last run," said Chris Dixon of The Horsewatchers. "Ali [Rawlinson] has been riding him at home, as well as on the track, and is very happy with him. It will be a red-hot race given the money and quality of horses on offer. I don't think he has reached his cap yet, but there are probably other horses who are in the same boat."
Oh So Grand currently heads the betting at a general 3/1 for Friday's feature, with the in-form Penzance just a point bigger to extend his winning streak to five.