Rachel Candelora's top tips for Wednesday: Global looks overpriced at 25-1

It’s finally here - the sixth All-Weather Championship Finals Day where the five-month long all-weather season culminates in a spectacular day of racing and fun at Lingfield Park.

I am lucky enough that this Friday will be the fourth time that I will be going to Finals Day and it is just a fantastic event, they have a bugle call to post, the winners’ enclosure is moved to the turf track in front of the stands, and the old Lingfield grandstands really do rock!

This year the fields for the six All-Weather Championship races are very competitive and are internationally represented, with several runners from France and Ireland coming to take their chance at the serious prize money.

Some of the horses that I am looking forward to seeing are the French-raider Amade in the Marathon, Kachy in the Sprint, Matternhorn, potentially, in the Mile, and Wissahickon in the Easter Classic.

Many Championships are going down to the wire, such as the trainer’s championship between previous all-weather champion trainer, Mick Appleby, who is going head-to-head with John Gosden, and the winning-most horse where Appleby’s Lion Hearted has a chance to win the £10,000 bonus in the Apprentice race.

One championship that has already been decided is that Adam Kirby will earn his third All-Weather Champion Jockey title.

Regardless of how the other championships turn out, it is still a great day of sport.

She is trained by Dan Skelton and, given the season he is having and his current form, that should honestly be enough right now as he is looking to become only the second trainer to register 200 wins in a UK jumping season, and given he is only seven away, everything he is running is out to win.

As an added bonus, Skelton has stated that Rene’s Girl has been kept back since December with this particular race in mind.

She was a high-class novice chaser last season with two Listed wins and an admirable second in the Grade One Manifesto Novice’s Chase at Aintree last year.

In her final appearance in 2018, she finished second behind Lady Buttons in the Listed Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares’ Chase at Doncaster giving that rival 2lbs.

Lady Buttons has since come out to win the Grade Two Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle before running well at both the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals.

Rene’s Girl is making her first start in a handicap chase on Wednesday and she should be well weighted and fresh in this competitive field.

A five-times course winner, Gifted Master has run at this meeting twice in his career and has won on both occasions – the 2016 £100,000 Tattersalls Millions three-year-old sprint and a two-year-old conditions race in 2015.

Back at the Craven meeting for the first time since, he is coming here off the back of a decent effort at Meydan in the Grade Three Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint - won by subsequent Al Quoz Sprint winner Blue Point – in March where he reportedly lost a shoe.

Plans for World Cup night were scrapped after that, which is just as well as Gifted Master is yet to win in three starts at Meydan.

Jockey Jason Watson gets aboard Gifted Master for the second time today for the in-form Hugo Palmer, his other previous ride on him was to win last season’s Stewards’ Cup.

He represents some value against the favourite, Brando, who is seeking his third successive victory in this race.

This undefeated son of Dutch Art has been a personal favourite of mine in his relatively short career, winning his first two starts at Kempton before travelling to Qatar to win the Al Biddah Mile at Al Rayyan’s biggest meeting.

Remember, this form should not be ignored as Tip Two Win won that very race last year en route to being runner-up in the 2,000 Guineas itself.

With that victory in the Al Biddah Mile, Global Spectrum showed that his early all-weather prowess can be successfully transferred to the turf, especially the good to firm ground he will have today.

Also, that success makes him one of only three runners in this field who have won over a mile and, unlike several of his rivals, Global Spectrum has run twice already this year and should strip more race fit than some.

While the French 2,000 Guineas has been given as his intended target, Global Spectrum has a great each-way chance in the Craven at around about 25-1.

Inspired Thought is one of the many debutant winners for Archie Watson already this season, and her trainer looks to have found her a good race to double up her career victories, much like her Listing winning half-sister Hikmaa who won her first two starts.

On debut over course and distance she broke from stall four, but then was bounced around like a pin ball before Danny Tudhope was able to get her out of traffic and after that she just cruised around in hand before being eased at the line, beating more experienced rivals.

Since this daughter of Dandy Man’s win came in a Novice Auction, she only has to carry a 5lb penalty as opposed to her main market rival, Astro Jakk, who is carrying the full 7lb penalty for his novice course and distance success last month.

While the draw has not been kind to Astro Jakk, it has been extremely kind to Inspired Thought, and with her previous race experience under her belt and the excellent gate tutelage that Archie Watson employees, that should put her in a very advantageous spot early in the race.