Lancelot Du Lac (second right) narrowly failed to secure a hat-trick when second in the Betway Hever Sprint. (Pic: Courtesy of Arena Racing Company).

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LANCELOT DU LAC is reported to be in great order ahead of the £150,000 Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships at Lingfield Park on Friday.

Lancelot Du Lac bids to improve on his second in this race last year when he was collared in the closing stages by Alben Star in the valuable six-furlong contest that is one of six championship races on the £1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day.

The Dean Ivory-trained gelding contests the sprint final for the third time having finished eighth to Alben Star in the first sprint championships in 2014.

The seven-year-old has been in great form this campaign. He narrowly missed out on securing a hat-trick when second in a Listed event at Lingfield in February. He returned with a victory off top-weight over five-furlongs at Chelmsford City and followed up with a nose win in the Listed Betway Cleves Stakes over six furlongs at Lingfield.

Lancelot Du Lac was then stepped back to five furlongs at his third start but was forced to settle for second place behind Royal Birth, who re-opposes, in the Listed Betway Hever Sprint at Lingfield.

“Lancelot Du Lac is doing very well at home and has been working nicely,” trainer Dean Ivory said.

“We sent him back to Childwickbury Stud for two or three weeks after he ran in the Hever Sprint and then started back with him slowly – he doesn’t want an awful lot of work.

“He has obviously got some very good form at Lingfield over the past couple of years and we are just hoping for a good draw,” the trainer said ahead of the news his charge had been allotted a generally favourable barrier six.

“I think that six furlongs suits him better than five but it all depends on what other horses are in the race,” Ivory continued. “Lingfield is an easier six furlongs than some other courses – he wants pace in his races and he should get that on Good Friday.

“Hopefully, he can jump, track the leaders, take a bit of a blow and then finish strongly. He played his hand a bit early last year, when Alben Star did him on the line, and he hit the rail quite badly two years before that.

“I think he is a probably the best he has ever been and you just need to cross your fingers for a bit of luck.”

The £1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day incorporates six championship races on a seven-race card where racing commences at 1.40pm. The running order is:

1.40pm £50,000 Sunbets All-Weather Championships Apprentice Handicap (81-100), 7f

2.10pm £150,000 Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships, 1m 7f 169y

2.40pm £150,000 32Red All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships, 7f

3.10pm £150,000 Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships, 6f

3.40pm £150,000 Sunbets All-Weather Mile Championships, 1m

4.10pm £150,000 32Red Three-Year-Old All-Weather Championships, 6f

4.40pm £200,000 Betway Easter Classic All-Weather Middle Distance Championships, 1m 2f

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