
I’m sure that I don’t need to explain that the recent cold snap has played absolutely havoc on the National Hunt front, which is why I’ve opted to bring you a race-by-race review of the Flat meeting at Lingfield instead
Looking ahead, we have Cheltenham Trials Day next week and the Dublin Racing Festival the week after, so stay tuned as I will be bringing you my best bets for both meetings.
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Although we have some Jumps action happening in Ireland on Saturday and Sunday, there really isn’t too much to report on that front so, I’ve decided to go through the Flat card at Lingfield instead. I’ve previewed every race and nailed down my selections, which come with a decent assortment of prices, so take as you find and place your bets accordingly.
The opener is a really competitive event and there are plenty in with chances too. Greenham Bay is eye catching with Ryan Moore on board and if he returns to his best form, he won’t be far away at all. Ultramarine and Thapa VC represent solid chances and have been slowly improving for a while now but the one that looks overpriced to me is Sandy Paradise. He is a very good traveller and extremely consistent too, but on top of those credentials, he won on his only other start here at Lingfield and he may well do the same again. He is dangerous here at a big price.
In the second race on the card, I think the favourite, Fire Demon, has a great chance of backing up his Maiden win. Roman Emperor is well handicapped again and I expect him to get competitive, but the problem for him is that Fire Demon looks open to plenty more and with that first win under his belt, I think he will take another step forward here.
The next race is all about stamina and with plenty of pace in this field, you need a strong stayer here. The two main opponents would be Orange N Blue and also Raintown. Orange N Blue is still low mileage and could come on for his improved effort last time out, whilst Raintown could be dangerous off his unchanged mark.
But I think the one that has the class angle here is Amazing, with Hollie Doyle in the saddle. She improved plenty for the step up in trip last month and won straight off the back of a 200-day break. Winning in the fashion she did last time out, it’s hard not to expect further improvement and the 4lb rise is unlikely to stop her winning again.
The mile Handicap is a little bit of a puzzle, because there are a few angles to consider, especially at the top of the market. Dragon Icon is top weight and was a decent Group horse a few years back, but has slightly lost his way since. That being said, if he returned to anywhere near his best form, ther’s not much here that could touch him, even if he is carrying top weight.
Fantastic Fox also represents the same stable as Dragon Icon and I love this horse. Fantastic Fox is a proper honest horse, you know he is always going to try hard for you and if he gets the run of the race, he will absolutely be bang there at the finish. The worry with him is he does need a lot of things to go his way. Kings Code is overpriced at 14/1 under Hollie Doyle. but I think the percentage call here is to side with the improver Talis Evolvere.
Talis Evolvere is a lovely type, who has continued to progress and the moderate 2lb rise following his Kempton win earlier this month is very generous on the part of the Handicapper. He has won three times (and come a close second on two other occasions) since being gelded, and he has Ryan Moore in the saddle, so he holds major claims here. I like his profile and with plenty of question marks surrounding his rivals, I think he’s worth a go.
This is a really tricky race because every horse in the lineup has a chance on their best form, so I wouldn’t be too quick to jump on anything. This is deeply competitive for a 10-runner Handicap, where the result might all come down to the break.
But if anything, I’d consider splitting my stake and taking a chance on two. Top weight Silky Wilkie has a good chance dropping down in class and he represents a very solid chance, even on his recent form. The other is Diomed Spirit, who is definitely on a roll at the moment he should be well at home in this field. Plenty in with chances, but I’d have a go on the pair in this race.
There are plenty of nice fillies in this race, and Twirling is going to be very popular here, especially so with Ryan Moore in the saddle. She is open to improvement on paper, but the worry I have with her is that she has a tendency to take a good look around during her races, rather than focusing on the task in hand. My take – Twirling is clearly talented, but possibly not the most reliable.
For that reason, I’ll be siding with her stablemate, Oh So Grand. That one loves to race and she is very, very tough too, which is a really good quality to have in a filly, particularly at this sort of trip. I think she is much more reliable than Twirling and has to be the one to beat here.
The final race of the day is a decent staying Handicap and Anisoptera has a great each way chance based on her Kempton form, but so far she hasn’t managed to transfer her prowess to Lingfield and has struggled in her last two starts here.
Havanazam is the main danger and still looks well treated, although I think the answer here is African Star for Sylvester Kirk. He is still lightly raced and this step up in trip is surely going to bring out plenty more improvement in him.
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