Tyrrhenian Sea looking for Finals Day redemption Fewer horses are as popular on the Flat as the distinctive Tyrrhenian Sea, who returns to Newcastle seeking Finals Day redemption in the BetMGM All-Weather Championships Mile Handicap. Roger Varian’s ultra-consistent stalwart of the all-weather scene was second in the Easter Classic on Gosforth Park’s Good Friday extravaganza in 2022 and four years on is back on Tyneside – this time seeking a slice of the £150,000 prize-fund available in the eight-furlong event. Varian said: “We were a little bit torn between this and the 10-furlong race, but in the end we decided to stick to a mile. “I think he’s in great form and I really couldn’t be happier with him. I think the stiff mile will be pretty much ideal for him and although it’s a tough race, I’m looking forward to running him.” Tyrrhenian Sea has found the podium on each of his three starts since returning to the all-weather this winter, beaten a short head in the Quebec Stakes before going down by a length when up against the reopposing Chancellor at Southwell in the Tandridge Stakes. He will meet that rival on better terms this time, with Varian hopeful of a performance that will delight the legion of fans the eight-year-old has garnered through his exploits down the years. Varian added: “We get a 3lb pull on Chancellor which might or might not make a difference – we’ve finished behind him twice, but we hope it will help. “He’s got a big following and is a lovely horse with a great character who is very kind. He’s done well for us and he’s got that unique look to him as well, so it’s easy to see why he has a following seeing as he’s quite good as well.” Chancellor was once regarded as a Classic hopeful by trainers John and Thady Gosden and owners Cheveley Park Stud, but has found his niche on the all-weather of late. He followed up his aforementioned victory over Tyrrhenian Sea with a narrow defeat in the Winter Derby, but now returns to the mile with his team confident he remains an individual full of top quality. “He’s obviously got top-weight, but he’s in good form,” said Cheveley Park’s Chris Richardson. “We bypassed the Doncaster Mile and just took a view that Docklands was going to be tough to beat and he did win impressively. “As everyone knows we’ve done his wind and he’s been gelded and we’re just hoping that he can keep progressing forward, give us a bit of fun and earn a few quid this year.” He added: “We have always known he had the ability. Obviously he fluffed his lines at Doncaster as a two-year-old when he popped open the starting stalls, but he seems in good form now and if he puts his best foot forward we’re in with a shout I would think.” Lincoln Trial winner The Lost King appears the pick of Andrew Balding’s pair as he attempts to win this race for the second year running, while James Tate’s Blue Rc has only once finished outside the first two in eight starts, with the four-time winner kept fresh since scoring at Southwell on New Year’s Day. “He seems to be a horse that is improving with age and each start,” said Tate. “We gave him a break, he’s freshened up well, he’s working well so fingers crossed he should have an excellent chance in what I’m sure is a very competitive race. “He’s been outsprinted a couple of times on some turning tracks over seven (furlongs) and a slowly run race at Chelmsford, but this should be truer run over a stiff mile at Newcastle, so we are hoping that might bring a few pounds of improvement out of him, which you’d need to find to win a race as competitive as this.”
