Sprint specialist Mick Appleby has two good chances of taking top honours in the BetUK All-Weather Sprint Handicap at Newcastle on Good Friday.

The trainer has entered both Juan Les Pins and Billyjoh for the £150,000 contest, run over six furlongs on the tapeta surface.

Juan Les Pins is the most fancied of the duo at present, a Listed-placed seven-year-old who came home a length behind Diligent Harry in the Hever Sprint at Southwell in February.

Appleby suspects the gelding’s forte may be the turf, but he thinks there could be more to come from his stablemate Billyjoh after a highly productive winter on the all-weather that yielded three wins.

“They are both decent horses,” the trainer said.

“I think Billyjoh still has more to offer and could surprise people, while the handicapper knows all about Juan Les Pins.

“Juan Les Pins might be better on grass as well, but he should still run well.”

Well-fancied is John and Thady Gosden’s Cover Up, owned by Godolphin and the winner of all three of his starts on the all-weather – the latter two times over five furlongs at Newcastle.

Peter Shoemark, racing manager for the Gosdens, said of his chances: “Cover Up has been in great form all season – he started off rated 76 and is now up to 101.

“He has won over six furlongs, although that came at Lingfield and Newcastle is a lot stiffer, so that will be a new test for him, plus the fact he is 13lb higher than last time.”

Harry Charlton’s Batal Dubai is also popular in the market, a four-year-old consistently in the money on the all-weather over six furlongs.

Tim Palin of owners Middleham Park Racing said: “If you could create a perfect storm for Batal Dubai, it would probably be six furlongs in a big-field competitive handicap at Newcastle. This is very much him playing at home.”

There is an interesting contender in Gordon Elliott’s Coachello, a course and distance winner who travels over from Ireland for the race.

“Coachello is in good order. He has not done much wrong so far this season and we are looking forward to sending him over,” Elliott said.

“It looks a strong race, but he is a solid horse and hopefully runs well.”

Roger Teal is set to run Chipstead, a full brother to his sprint star Oxted and a good winner of the BetUK AWC Sprint Trial Handicap at Lingfield when last seen.

“All is well with him. He did a nice piece of work the other day and we are going into the race on a good note,” said Teal.

“I think he has a good each-way chance. He has done nothing wrong all season and won nicely at the trials meeting.

“You need luck on the day with these sprinters but, if everything goes right, you have to put him in the mix.”

David O’Meara is well represented in the race with three runners, as seasoned sprinter Summerghand, who won the 2021 renewal of this contest when it was staged at Lingfield, is joined by two good campaigners in Aberama Gold and Misty Grey.

“I was delighted to see Summerghand finish second in the trial at Lingfield. It was a fantastic run and shows there is still plenty of life left in those old legs yet,” the trainer said.

“Whether Newcastle brings out the best in him, I am not convinced, but it is big money and he has to have a go at it.

“I was happy with Aberama Gold at Newcastle in November, when he finished fourth in the Listed race, and then he probably wasn’t quite sharp enough for his first run of the year over five furlongs at Southwell. Fingers crossed, this test should suit him better.

“Misty Grey had a lovely run at Wolverhampton in the Lady Wulfruna. Whether he can replicate that form in a straight six-furlong race would be a question, but I was delighted with the way he travelled at Wolverhampton and he is well entitled to take his shot at a great prize.”

Penzance bids to put the seal on a prolific winter campaign by securing top honours in the BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic at Newcastle on Good Friday.

A five-race maiden when changing hands for 31,000 guineas last July, the grey has proved another shrewd purchase for trainer Mick Appleby and successful owners The Horse Watchers, with a promising effort on his Wolverhampton debut for new connections followed by four successive victories.

There is no doubt he faces a rise in class on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, but Appleby is confident of another bold showing in Gosforth Park’s £200,000 feature.

“He has just kept improving every time and was really impressive last time, so I think he should have a really good chance,” said the trainer.

“He’s in good order and he would be our best chance of a winner on Friday.

“Every run he’s had, he’s improved and it will be interesting to see how he goes when we switch him to the turf. He’s one to look forward to.”

Part-owner Chris Dixon added: “It will be his most difficult task so far, but he seems to have improved again from his last run. Ali (Rawlinson) has been riding him at home, as well as on the track, and is very happy with him.

“It will be a red-hot race given the money and quality of horse on offer. I don’t think he has reached his cap yet, but there are probably other horses who are in the same boat.”

Penzance’s former trainers Simon and Ed Crisford are represented by both Oh So Grand and Base Note, with the former very much the stable’s first string as she looks to supplement victories in the Winter Oaks Trial and the Winter Oaks at Lingfield.

“Oh So Grand has had a very good winter and remains in good form for this race. She will need to improve again, but we think there is more to come from her,” said Simon Crisford.

“Base Note found life a little tougher in a handicap last time, but he has been working well recently and loves the all-weather.”

Irish hopes are carried by the Adrian Murray-trained Elegant Man, who has won twice at Dundalk either side of chasing home Breeders’ Cup and multiple Group One winner Rebel’s Romance in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton in December.

Murray said: “We had him entered to go to Dubai, but it looked like he wasn’t going to get in the race and this was the alternative.

“He’s only had the three runs and he’s an improving horse, I think down the road he’s an exciting horse. It’s a big pot on Friday and down the line hopefully he’ll be going into Group races, we think he’s that category of a horse that is potentially good enough to do that.”

Hooking is an interesting contender from France, not least because he is owned by international footballer Antoine Griezmann, who was named man of the match when Les Bleus won the 2018 World Cup final.

Although considerably older than most of his rivals at the age of eight, Philippe Decouz’s raider has proved himself as good as ever by winning two Listed prizes since the turn of the year.

Decouz said: “Hooking has been in my yard for seven years now, so we have a long history! He is in remarkable condition for an eight-year-old, we have always looked after him and given him breaks.

“He is in top form. The race at Newcastle was a logical choice following his winter programme. He doesn’t go on heavy ground and so there is not a race for him in France at the moment.

“This is a first runner in the UK for his owner Antoine Griezmann and also for me. It is a great challenge.”

Other contenders include the William Haggas-trained To Catch A Thief, Simon Pearce’s Storm Catcher and Teumessias Fox from Andrew Balding’s yard, all previous winners over the course and distance.

Balding said of the latter, who was last seen impressing at Kempton in late January: “He is coming in fresh, which I think is a bonus for him as his record after a break is pretty good.

“The only issue is that he is very high in the weights now for winning last time, so it won’t be easy.”

Annaf continued his fine season when edging out Commanche Falls in a thrilling finish to the John Guest Racing Bengough Stakes at Ascot.

Mick Appleby’s four-year-old has been a consistent player on the sprinting scene this season, finishing third at this track in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He gained a deserved success when dropped into handicap company for the Portland at Doncaster last month and quickly added his tally when returned to Group company in this Group Three assignment.

Ridden again by Rossa Ryan, the 5-2 favourite was expertly manoeuvred into a position to challenge and stuck on resolutely in the closing stages to hunt down Michael Dods’ in-form Commanche Falls and win by short head.

Annaf’s class came to the fore as he carried top-weight to a game victory in the Betfred Portland Handicap at Doncaster.

Mick Appleby’s four-year-old has been a regular in Group-race company this season and made the podium at Royal Ascot when third in the King’s Stand Stakes.

However, the 7-1 shot was remarkably still a maiden on turf prior to making his 23rd overall career start in the hands of Rossa Ryan.

Ridden with supreme confidence by the in-form jockey, the duo picked their way through a stacked field and pulled out all the stops to prevail in a photo-finish over Julie Camacho’s Significantly.

The victory continued a fine week on Turf Moor for Oakham-based Appleby who enjoyed Flying Childers success with the Breeders’ Cup-bound Big Evs on Friday.

Annaf’s class came to the fore as he carried top-weight to a game victory in the Betfred Portland Handicap at Doncaster.

Mick Appleby’s four-year-old has been a regular in Group-race company this season and made the podium at Royal Ascot when third in the King’s Stand Stakes.

However, the 7-1 shot was remarkably still a maiden on turf prior to making his 23rd overall career start in the hands of Rossa Ryan.

Ridden with supreme confidence by the in-form jockey, the duo picked their way through a stacked field and pulled out all the stops to prevail in a photo-finish over Julie Camacho’s Significantly.

The victory continued a fine week on Turf Moor for Oakham-based Appleby who enjoyed Flying Childers success with the Breeders’ Cup-bound Big Evs on Friday.

Big Evs proved his surprise Royal Ascot success was no fluke with victory in the Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood.

Narrowly beaten on his debut at Redcar in May, Mick Appleby’s juvenile was sent off at 20-1 for the Windsor Castle Stakes but ran out a clear-cut winner.

He was the 9-4 joint-favourite to follow up at Group Three level and a smart start meant he was soon leading the field in the hands of Jason Hart.

Purosangue came at him hard as the post loomed, but Big Evs kept responding to pressure and clung on by a neck.

Kylian, the other 9-4 favourite, appeared outpaced early on, but made late progress to place third and may well have finished closer with a clearer run.

Betfair cut Big Evs to 5-1 from 8-1 for the Gimcrack at York on August 25, although connections also raised the possibility of paying the £40,000 required to supplement him for the Nunthorpe on the same day.

He is an 8-1 shot with Paddy Paddy Power to become the first two-year-old to win the all-aged Group One since Kingsgate Native in 2007.