No surprise that the planned NH meeting is lost at Lingfield tomorrow. It's replaced by six races, the first of which is a rather interesting Bumper. The Pipe runner has PtP form in Ireland and there are some other good NH trainers represented in a nice big field.
Lingfield goes AW this Saturday
- Thread starter krizon
- Start date
Trackside Tomorrow...
I'm hoping to be trackside tomorrow though that's not certain. As far as the opening Bumper is concerned, it doesn't look the strongest of races but DARK RUBY looks to have solid claims on the second at Fontwell.
As for the two C4 races and I note the Class 3 handicap with seven runners has been dropped in favour of the Class 6 with twelve horses, I think BAYLINI looks the best bet in the class 2 and INDIAN VIOLET to follow up in the last.
11.50am reminds me of the old days but perhaps I can get there for breakfast.
I'm hoping to be trackside tomorrow though that's not certain. As far as the opening Bumper is concerned, it doesn't look the strongest of races but DARK RUBY looks to have solid claims on the second at Fontwell.
As for the two C4 races and I note the Class 3 handicap with seven runners has been dropped in favour of the Class 6 with twelve horses, I think BAYLINI looks the best bet in the class 2 and INDIAN VIOLET to follow up in the last.
11.50am reminds me of the old days but perhaps I can get there for breakfast.
Oh, hell's teeth! They've bunged in another at the top of the card since yesterday. Six is so enough at the moment. We're supposed to open the gates two hours before the first race (9.50), but we're told that roll call (which takes place now in a PortaKabin which we were informed used to be an extra gents' urinals - ahh, the glamour of racing! - and is stuck right up by the horseboxes) will be at 9.30, so how we're supposed to listen to a briefing, go to our posts and set up the paperwork, I've no idea. Just bumble away as usual, I suppose.
Notes from Yesterday..
I got to Lingfield yesterday - one or two in the crowd were claiming the NH card could have gone ahead but of course everyone's an expert. I thought that while the corporate and boxes were busy, the main part of the crowd was down on what the NH fixture would have attracted.
The opening Bumper looked a modest event and the one I'd take from it is TWENTYTEN who was running on well at the end while ABSOLUTION will make a smashing 3-mile chaser one day.
I thought ORCHARD SUPREME only had to go down and come back to win the Seller and punted him accordingly given that SOVEREIGNTY was always going to wreck his chance by pulling hard. However, both PINSPLITTER and FORGIVEN chased the favourite hard to the line and I needed a wee sniffter to calm my nerves.
The Class 3 handicap was won well by SECRET ASSET who was contested better races than this. He gave 12 lbs and a comfortbale beating to SIOUX RISING and looks useful at this level.
The Class 2 handicap had the finish of the day but the start was marred by the withdrawal of PERTUIS and as I was standing on the steppings just above Harry Dunlop, I can attest his reaction was far from positive. He stormed down to the rail and said something to Luke Morris who was leading the apparently-uninjured horse back. It's interesting he was being tried here off a mark of 71 and I suspect he's a fair bit better than that.
As for the race, ISLAND SUNSET, who has mixed it in much better company and has won first time out three seasons running, did it well while DISTINCTIVE IMAGE, who hadn't I think run at Lingfield, put up a good effort in defeat off 93 and unless connections go back down the Dubai route, he looks one to keep an eye on this winter.
I got to Lingfield yesterday - one or two in the crowd were claiming the NH card could have gone ahead but of course everyone's an expert. I thought that while the corporate and boxes were busy, the main part of the crowd was down on what the NH fixture would have attracted.
The opening Bumper looked a modest event and the one I'd take from it is TWENTYTEN who was running on well at the end while ABSOLUTION will make a smashing 3-mile chaser one day.
I thought ORCHARD SUPREME only had to go down and come back to win the Seller and punted him accordingly given that SOVEREIGNTY was always going to wreck his chance by pulling hard. However, both PINSPLITTER and FORGIVEN chased the favourite hard to the line and I needed a wee sniffter to calm my nerves.
The Class 3 handicap was won well by SECRET ASSET who was contested better races than this. He gave 12 lbs and a comfortbale beating to SIOUX RISING and looks useful at this level.
The Class 2 handicap had the finish of the day but the start was marred by the withdrawal of PERTUIS and as I was standing on the steppings just above Harry Dunlop, I can attest his reaction was far from positive. He stormed down to the rail and said something to Luke Morris who was leading the apparently-uninjured horse back. It's interesting he was being tried here off a mark of 71 and I suspect he's a fair bit better than that.
As for the race, ISLAND SUNSET, who has mixed it in much better company and has won first time out three seasons running, did it well while DISTINCTIVE IMAGE, who hadn't I think run at Lingfield, put up a good effort in defeat off 93 and unless connections go back down the Dubai route, he looks one to keep an eye on this winter.
davidjohnson
At the Start
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Island Sunset and Distinctive Image both benefitted from being close up in a slowly-run race. Bigger field, stronger pace and Baylini will reverse the form I think.
Petrius...
PETRIUS was taken out of the stalls pretty sharply after getting his leg caught and was moved away. To be honest, and I can understand Harry Dunlop's frustration, the starter sent them away within 30-45 seconds.
As he was being walked back by Luke Morris, he didn't look lame or sore to my untrained eye and my thought was that Harry Dunlop didn't think so either. IF in the immediate aftermath of the event, they thought at the start he had been injured, I can understand why they took him out so quickly.
Flame, I didn't comment on the other races simply because I was short of time yesterday - which one was yours ?
Mr Johnson - I don't know about BAYLINI - I thought Saturday was an ideal opportunity for her and it wasn't taken. I think the handicapper has her at 87-88 and this is as good as she is whether over 8 or 10 furlongs. The tactical race on Saturday should have worked to her strength as she has shown good finishing pace and was well enough placed in my view in the straight, had she been able to show improvement, to have won the race but she couldn't quite get there and for me she's a Class 3 handicapper not a Class 2 or Listed animal.
DISTINCTIVE DREAM ran very well in defeat off 93. He's lightly-raced (this was only his ninth outing) and Gerard Butler is well-versed in having good Lingfield horses. The horse ran well over 12 furlongs last winter but clearly has the pace for ten furlongs and to me looks the type to be on the Winter Derby shortlist.
PETRIUS was taken out of the stalls pretty sharply after getting his leg caught and was moved away. To be honest, and I can understand Harry Dunlop's frustration, the starter sent them away within 30-45 seconds.
As he was being walked back by Luke Morris, he didn't look lame or sore to my untrained eye and my thought was that Harry Dunlop didn't think so either. IF in the immediate aftermath of the event, they thought at the start he had been injured, I can understand why they took him out so quickly.
Flame, I didn't comment on the other races simply because I was short of time yesterday - which one was yours ?
Mr Johnson - I don't know about BAYLINI - I thought Saturday was an ideal opportunity for her and it wasn't taken. I think the handicapper has her at 87-88 and this is as good as she is whether over 8 or 10 furlongs. The tactical race on Saturday should have worked to her strength as she has shown good finishing pace and was well enough placed in my view in the straight, had she been able to show improvement, to have won the race but she couldn't quite get there and for me she's a Class 3 handicapper not a Class 2 or Listed animal.
DISTINCTIVE DREAM ran very well in defeat off 93. He's lightly-raced (this was only his ninth outing) and Gerard Butler is well-versed in having good Lingfield horses. The horse ran well over 12 furlongs last winter but clearly has the pace for ten furlongs and to me looks the type to be on the Winter Derby shortlist.
davidjohnson
At the Start
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We'll have to agree to disagree! In a race where the leaders were still accelerating at the finish, I think Baylini was disadvantaged by giving them a 3l head start. I agree she isn't progressive, but she has lots of efforts in simililar big-field events that suggests she can win in similar company when things go more her way.
Regarding Distinctive Image, I think he still has upwards of a stone to find to make him a Winter Derby candidate. I couldn't have him at all personally.
Regarding Distinctive Image, I think he still has upwards of a stone to find to make him a Winter Derby candidate. I couldn't have him at all personally.