Manaafith aims to bring up a rare full set of wins at Britain’s six all-weather tracks in the All-Weather Fillies’ & Mares’ Championships at Newcastle tomorrow, April 7.
The Shadwell filly is a perfect six from six on the all-weather for Roger Varian, registering wins at Lingfield Park, Chelmsford, Kempton Park, Wolverhampton and Southwell.
Manaafith produced a career-best on her latest start as she stormed home to beat G2 winner Sir Busker in the Listed Tandridge Stakes at Lingfield Park in early February.
She now hopes to emulate Florencio and Roy’s Legacy, the only other horses to complete a full house of all-weather wins since Newcastle started racing on Tapeta in May, 2016.
Varian said: “I am looking forward to Manaafith. This has been her target all the way through the winter season and she has trained really nicely since Lingfield.
“She has the form in the book and her record on the all-weather is there for all to see. She has won at all the tracks bar Newcastle but she has never run there before.
“She seems to be well suited by seven furlongs on a synthetic surface and there is no reason to think that this track won’t suit her.”
Shaquille is another leading contender on the card as he looks to pick up from where he left off last year for Julie Camacho in the talkSPORT All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships.
The son of Charm Spirit ran three times at York during the turf season, winning novice races over six and seven furlongs, and secured his Finals Day place with a taking victory in a Fast-Track Qualifier at Wolverhampton in December.
Camacho’s husband and assistant Steve Brown said: “Shaquille is fine. We have been pleased with his training and he went up to Newcastle recently to stretch his legs and have a nice breeze on the track.
“I think there are two or three better off at the weights than him, but he is an impressive horse to look at and we have always felt that he would improve as he gets older.
“There is scope for him to go seven furlongs again, given what he did on debut, but I would like to see him settle better, which is why we have come back sprinting. In that respect, I think the stiff six furlongs will play to his strengths.”