2.35pm £37,000 Listed coral.co.uk Churchill Stakes 10f
Four-year-old Prince Alzain, the 5/2 favourite trained by Gerard Butler, came through strongly in the straight win the 10-runner Listed coral.co.uk Churchill Stakes, worth £37,000, decisively by two and a quarter lengths from Bancnuanaheireann in 2m 2.33s.
Butler, having his sixth victory in the 14 runnings of this race, said: "It's about time I won this race again. I am very pleased for the horse and for the owner, Asaad Al Banwan. We have had a lot of ups and downs with this horse and he is beginning to get his act together now.
"I thought it was a good performance today. To get into a bit of trouble, pick up and then win with his ears pricked in a Listed race around here is not too bad.
"I loved the way Oisin (Murphy) got on with the horse at Wolverhampton, when he put him to sleep at the right time and did everything right. It is important to keep these combinations together - he has a very bright future in front of him and hopefully we will get to use him again next year.
"The plan will be to come back for Finals Day (Good Friday, April 18, 2014). Dubai is on the cards for him, there's no doubt about that, but I will have to talk to the owners. It would be great to come back here for such a fantastic prize and it will be well on the radar.
"If Dubai goes wrong, then we will come back for the Winter Derby, but the Finals race is more my ticket."
Winning rider Oisin Murphy said: "The credit has to go to Mr Butler for putting an apprentice up in a Listed race. He has kept the faith in me from last time and the horse is all class. He has put them to bed very easily and there was a Group Two winner in there.
"I broke a bit slow on his last race so Mr Butler asked for him to go in last today and he has popped out and travelled well. They have gone hard and then slowed it up down the back. When I have gone for my horse, he has shown how good he is.
"Hopefully, I can ride him again on Finals Day if Mr Butler is kind enough. I am looking forward to it."
This was the second Win & You're In contest for the £1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Europe's richest All-Weather raceday, at Lingfield Park, on Good Friday, April 18.
Today's winner of the coral.co.uk Churchill Stakes (2.35pm), Prince Alzain, has gained a guaranteed place in the £200,000 Coral Middle Distance Final, run over the same course and distance on All-Weather Championships Finals Day.
As well as by taking a WIN & YOU'RE IN race, horses qualify for the six championship contests on All-Weather Championships Finals Day by running in a minimum of three races at Britain's All-Weather tracks - three owned by ARC, Lingfield Park, Southwell and Wolverhampton, and The Jockey Club's Kempton Park - between October 26 and April 12.
All-Weather Championships - Lingfield Park, Saturday, November 16, 2013
3.10pm £37,000 Listed Best Odds At bookmakers.co.uk Golden Rose Stakes 6f
The Shane Kelly-ridden Valbchek, a four-year-old son of Acclamation who started at 14/1, produced a strong run inside the final furlong of the 11-runner six-furlong Listed Best Odds At bookmakers.co.uk Golden Rose Stakes to head the leader Take Cover who rallied and there was only a neck at the line. The winning time of 1m 9.42s was a new record time for Lingfield's six furlongs on Polytrack.
Winning trainer Jeremy Noseda said: "I am delighted. He has been a little bit disappointing and he has possibly been guilty of keeping a bit for himself on days. He was more like the horse I felt he was capable of being today.
"He won first time out here on the Polytrack when we were getting him ready for the sales race at Newmarket, which he also won. We thought everything looked bright after that but we have had a lot of disappointing days since then. I am just glad to see him back showing the type of form I always felt he was capable of.
"We are going to take him to Dubai and bring him back here for Good Friday. We came here hoping to make him eligible for the race on Good Friday, we have done that, so we will come back."
This was the third Win & You're In contest for the £1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Europe's richest All-Weather raceday, at Lingfield Park, on Good Friday, April 18.
The winner of the Best Odds At bookmakers.co.uk Golden Rose Stakes (3.10pm), Valbchek, has gained a guaranteed place in the £150,000 bookmakers.co.uk Sprint Final over the same course and distance on All-Weather Championships Finals Day.
As well as by taking a WIN & YOU'RE IN race, horses qualify for the six championship contests on All-Weather Championships Finals Day by running in a minimum of three races at Britain's All-Weather tracks - three owned by ARC, Lingfield Park, Southwell and Wolverhampton, and The Jockey Club's Kempton Park - between October 26 and April 12.
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