Andrew Balding and Oisin Murphy will try to win the BetMGM All-Weather 3 Year Old Championships Handicap for the second year in a row with Fire Demon, who recently won at Kempton. Last year, they won the race with Desert Cop when it was a conditions event, but now it's a handicap. Fire Demon, a horse owned by Juddmonte and sired by Dark Angel, showed good form as a two-year-old but has been performing even better since dropping back to six furlongs earlier this year. He has won two of his last three races at that distance, and his connections are hopeful that he will perform well at Newcastle. Barry Mahon, Juddmonte's European racing manager, mentioned that Fire Demon had a minor setback at Lingfield when the track didn't suit him, but he bounced back nicely in his last start. Both Mahon and Balding believe that the track at Newcastle will suit Fire Demon well and give him a good chance in the race.
One of Fire Demon's main rivals is Blue Prince, ridden by Oisin Murphy in previous races. Blue Prince, trained by David Evans, had a close finish with Fire Demon at Lingfield in their last two races. Blue Prince also won a race at Newcastle over the same distance in the past, and his trainer believes he has a good chance of winning this time.
Sommelier, another contender in the race, finished just half a length behind Blue Prince on New Year's Day. Marco Botti, Sommelier's trainer, mentioned that Sommelier has been kept fresh since that race and his preparation has gone well. Despite carrying top weight, Botti believes Sommelier has a chance to perform well in the race.
Trainer Karl Burke has two horses in the race: Media Shooter and Bazball. Media Shooter, ridden by Clifford Lee, finished just over a length behind Fire Demon in his previous race. Burke believes that Media Shooter has stronger claims in the race and has performed well on the all-weather track. Bazball, on the other hand, has had a break and will need to break a five-race losing streak to win.
Mick Appleby, a successful all-weather trainer, has two horses in the race as well: G'Day Mate and Daring Legend. Appleby mentioned that G'Day Mate has more speed but may struggle to stay the full distance of the race, while Daring Legend had to be rushed to qualify. He believes both horses have chances in the race.
Trainer Andrew Slattery will be trying to achieve an Irish victory in this event with Tarsus. Tarsus recently won a race against Harry's Bar at Dundalk, and Slattery believes the stiff six furlongs at Newcastle will not be a problem for him, as jockey Declan McDonogh has suggested that Tarsus can stay seven furlongs.
Overall, it's expected to be a competitive race with several strong contenders vying for victory.