The £200,000 Coral Easter Classic is the feature race on All-Weather Finals Day at Lingfield on Good Friday. Pic: Courtesy of Lingfield Park.

By Simon Jackson.

Trainer William Knight has said that Aussie Reigns is in ‘great order’ ahead of the £200,000 Coral Easter Classic on All-Weather Finals Day at Lingfield on Good Friday.

The four-year-old was campaigned in Dubai over the winter and his well-being was apparent in the coral.co.uk Winter Derby on his comeback run in the UK last month, when he belied odds of 33-1 to finish hard on the heels of the leading pair.

There the son of Aussie Rules was held up in midfield for the bulk of the 10 furlong contest and finished fast – despite failing to get a clear run in the final furlong – to cross the line a length and three quarters adrift of Robin Hoods Bay, who reopposes on Friday.

“Aussie Reigns is in great order and the plan was always to run in this race after the Winter Derby,” Knight said of his charge who is currently priced at 10-1 in the market headed by Grandeur (5-2).

“He has done two nice pieces of work and seems in really good nick. If anything, he looks stronger this year since he got back from Dubai.

“He has got it all to do to reverse the Winter Derby form with Robin Hoods Bay, while Grandeur was drawn badly that day.

“He might have finished a shade closer in the Winter Derby with a better run, but certainly wouldn’t have won and is the sort of horse that tends to find trouble and run through other horses anyway. I would say his price for Friday’s race is about right.

“Hopefully, we will get a bit of luck with our draw and I think he will certainly be there or thereabouts. I feel that as the season progresses, we will be looking at stepping him up in trip back to a mile and a half as he is out of a Singspiel mare.”

Lingfield Park Race Programme All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, April 18, 2014

13.45 £50,000 coral.co.uk All-Weather Championships Apprentice Handicap (1m 4f)
14.20 £150,000 32Red.com All-Weather Fillies’ & Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes (7f)
14.55 £150,000 32Red All-Weather Three-Year-Old Championships Conditions Stakes (7f)
15.30 £150,000 32Red Casino All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes (1m 7f 169y)
16.05 £150,000 bookmakers.co.uk All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes (6f)
16.40 £150,000 Ladbrokes All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes (1m)
17.20 £200,000 Coral Easter Classic All-Weather Middle-Distance Championships Conditions Stakes (1m 2f)

Read ‘Horse Talk with Simon Jackson’ at London24 for the latest horse racing news.