Space Cowboy impresses in first Fast-Track Qualifier
Space Cowboy dominated from the front in the Watch Racing Free Online At Coral EBF Conditions Stakes at Newcastle today, October 19, the opening Fast-Track Qualifier of this season’s All-Weather Championships.
The imposing son of Kodi Bear, from the Newmarket stable of Richard Spencer, is now guaranteed a start in the £150,000 Coral All-Weather Three-Year-Old Championships over the same six-furlong course and distance on Finals Day.
Front-running tactics served Space Cowboy well when successful on his All-Weather debut at Wolverhampton last month and did so again today, with Hollie Doyle taking over from Kieran Shoemark.
Space Cowboy set steady fractions, with his three rivals seemingly happy to take a lead, before increasing the tempo approaching the final two furlongs. The leader continued to lengthen passing the furlong pole and those in behind had no answers as he galloped out strongly to score by a half-length.
G2 Coventry Stakes runner-up Eldrickjones took second, with 5/4 favourite Canonized fading late on to finish third, a further two lengths behind.
Spencer said of the 4/1 winner: “We were very pleased with Space Cowboy. He is a horse we hold in high regard and it was great to see him step up from his maiden win last time out.
“He weighs 520 kilograms and whatever he did this year was always going to be a bonus. He is a real three-year-old in the making and a very exciting horse for next year.
“Finals Day is a nice option to have. It’s great that the final will be back at Newcastle because it is such a fair track. We have had a lot of success at Newcastle and our strike rate is good – Rajasinghe made his debut there before winning the Coventry at Royal Ascot.
“Myself and the owners will make a plan over the winter and work out where we want to go, but there’s great prize money on offer on Finals Day if we decide to go down that route.”
Doyle, who was celebrating her 150th winner this year, said: “Space Cowboy is a very strong horse. Richard has done a great job with him and has always really liked him.
“I did not really want to make the running but obviously nobody else wanted to. I kind of got left in front and did my own thing. He probably only worked for a furlong and a half there – a couple of flicks and he hit the line hard.
“I think that will be his final run of the year and he’ll be an exciting horse for the yard next year.”
Space Cowboy wins the opening Fast-Track Qualifier at Newcastle (credit: Grossick Photography)
About the All-Weather Championships
Season nine of the All-Weather Championships runs from Tuesday, October 19, 2021, and culminates with All-Weather Championships Finals Day on Good Friday, April 15, 2022.
Finals Day will take place at Newcastle for the first time while its previous home Lingfield Park will now stage the All-Weather Vase fixture for horses not rated high enough to run on Finals Day.
The six championship categories are:
Three-Year-Olds sponsored by Coral – 6f Final
Fillies & Mares sponsored by Coral – 7f Final
Mile sponsored by MansionBet – 1m Final
Sprint sponsored by Betway – 6f Final
Marathon sponsored by Betway – 2m Final
Middle Distance sponsored Betway – 10f Final
There are two ways for horses to qualify for one of the finals on All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Newcastle:
* A horse can win a ‘Fast-Track Qualifier’ race which will ensure a FREE and GUARANTEED place in the corresponding final on Good Friday. There are four Fast-Track Qualifiers in each of the six championship categories hosted at racecourses in Great Britain, Ireland and France. If a filly wins any of the Fast-Track Qualifier races for either the Sprint or the Mile categories, the filly will be qualified for the final of that specific category, or for the Fillies and Mares Final.
or
* A horse must run a minimum of three times on the All-Weather surfaces in Great Britain, Ireland and France; or twice on the All-Weather surfaces in Great Britain, Ireland, France and once on dirt in Dubai or Saudi Arabia during the qualifying period between October 19, 2021 and the six-day entry stage for the finals (Saturday, April 9, 2022) and then be rated high enough to ‘make the cut’ in a final by order of its BHA Rating.
In addition, prizes will be awarded to each of the All-Weather Champions – the ‘All Stars’ – based on the number of winners at the end of the All-Weather Championships season:
Champion All-Weather Jockey (winner and runner up)
Champion All-Weather Apprentice Jockey (winner and runner up)
Champion All-Weather Trainer
Champion All-Weather Owner
Winning Most All-Weather Horse
For details of the 24 Fast-Track Qualifiers, please click here.
Fast-Track Qualifier winners so far:
1 – 3YO, October 19, Newcastle, 6f, SPACE COWBOY (Richard Spencer/Hollie Doyle)
For more information on the All-Weather Championships, please visit:
www.awchampionships.co.uk
