Tyrrhenian Sea aiming to wash away Newcastle middle distance opponents
- Tom Reed
- 15 April 2022
A lucrative day's all-weather racing at Newcastle on Friday, April 15 and Tyrrhenian Sea is hoping to turn the tide in the one mile, two furlongs race in the Toon.
Newcastle specialist Tyrrhenian Sea can be top of the toon if winning the Betway Easter Classic All-Weather Middle Distance Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle on Friday, April 15.
Roger Varian's four-year-old made a blistering start to his career with a hat-trick of wins at Newcastle but then lost his unbeaten record after straying to Kempton last time out.
The Dark Angel gelding is back where he belongs on Friday though and aiming to take out the lucrative test over one miles and two furlongs for Newmarket trainer Varian.
Varian is better known for his top turf runners but is enjoying the all-weather experiment with Tyrrhenian Sea, saying "We like him a lot, he's a lovely horse and arguably should be unbeaten going into Friday.
"I think he'll run very well, he's training nicely.
"It's only a small field, but it's very competitive. We're hopeful"
Charlie and Mark Johnston can never be discounted in this sort of heat and send Living Legend to the race, a game winner of the Magnolia Stakes last time around.
Archie Watson's Al Zaraqaan is a course and distance winner and looks a lively outsider under Hollie Doyle.
"We were thrilled with his run last time, I think if he can reproduce that form then he has every chance of being bang there," he said.
"On Friday it is a very valuable race and he's already guaranteed some prize-money with it being a small field and we are very happy with him going into it, he's been working well.
"Going off his last run, if he can reproduce that he should certainly be in among the place money at the very least. It would be fantastic given he's relatively new to us, he didn't cost a fortune and to run in a race with £200,000 on offer is excellent."
Meanwhile, another Newmarket trainer, Maroc Botti, is hoping his Felix can bounce back to form after a weak run at Kempton last time.
"We were disappointed with Felix at Kempton but the race did not pan out for him at all. Daniel (Muscutt, jockey) went to go forward and unfortunately got stuck three-wide most of the way, which didn't suit," said Botti.
"Felix looks in good condition, so we are very hopeful that he can bounce back to the level he showed prior to Kempton. The run in Dubai was good and, on that form, he should have a leading chance.
"I have thought for a while that Newcastle will suit him better than the sharper tracks like Lingfield. Newcastle is a big, galloping track and, with his style of running, it should play to his strengths."
Michael Appleby's United Front under Tom Marquand addes depth to the bijou field, not to mention intriguing French raider Charlesquint, a winner at Chantilly last month.
