Lingfield Preview and Review Thread 24/11

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stodge

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I’m off to Lingfield tomorrow for a spot of NH racing and I thought I’d take a quick look at the card in advance. The ground is currently soft on the chase course and heavy for the hurdlers and it’s going to be tough going if we get more rain.

The opener is a handicap chase over two miles. Not many runners and not that much decent form on offer to be honest. BABE HEFFRON won a small race at Cartmel and has obvious claims but I narrowly prefer SUNTINI who contested some decent hurdle races and won first time out last season.

Race two is a novice hurdle for mares over two miles. LA SARRAZINE represents the Fanshawe yard and won her last Flat race on soft ground at Newbury but that was over a year ago. MEGASUE was just touched off here at the last NH meeting and has claims though I’m concerned as to whether she will find the heavy ground ideal. DOT’S DELIGHT might well be the one having won over further at Fontwell last time.

Race three is a beginners chase over two miles. SUNNYHILLBOY had useful hurdles form but was well beaten at Exeter on his chasing debut, ENFANT DE LUNE was well held at Cheltenham in the spring but could well be a useful recruit to chasing.

Race four is a novices’ hurdle over just shy of two and a half miles. There are some interesting types including GENERAL KUTUZOV who ran well behind Royal Charm at Exeter. However, I prefer STONEY’S TREASURE who shaped well in a recent Sandown Bumper which I saw and which contained a host of useful types. SAMURAI WAY was well beaten on his only run over hurdles and will need to improve.

Race five is a handicap chase over three miles. DUSK is in good form but this will be very different from a shorter trip at Fakenham and I’m more interested in the recent Folkestone winner PORTRAIT ROYALE who could still be on a good mark. UNCLE ELI was challenging at Towcester when trying to refuse and that always worries me as regards future temperament especially if it’s a slog.

Race six was a handicap hurdle over two miles. RILEYEV was disappointing at Plumpton last time and I prefer SPEAR THISTLE who ran well on soft ground at Market Rasen and won’t be stopping.

Race seven is a Bumper for 3-y-o which will be run on the Polytrack. There’s very little form to go on and I imagine SIR JOHN will have his supporters given his connections but I prefer SALTO ANGEL from a yard in good form which does well in races like these.

I’ll try and post a review tomorrow evening.
 
I'll be keeping an eye on a couple of runners from stables coming into a bit of form, Slixk Mover in the 1.10 & Quick de Montot in the 2.10.
 
Considering Peter Beaumont doesn't train winners over jumps anymore, there has to be a good chance that Charlie Mann will be able to channel the enthusiastic front-runner Fine Parchment a little more effectively.
 
I've placed a couple of speculative orders this morning for the Lingfield card..

1.10 - Jennys Gold: Unfashionable stable but had winning bumper form and made an encouraging return before running out of puff up the Towcester hill.. If I can get matched at the win/place prices i've put in for i'll be happy.. Megasue would the other runner i'd back/dutch

1.40 - Enfant De Lune: As good a hurdler as Sunnyhillboy on ratings and the latter doesn't look to have the scope to jump fences for me. Was surprised King's horse was 7/2 last night. A few weeks ago I probably wouldn't have backed a king debutant but he has obviously had time to get them fitter and his horses are running well.

2.10 - Samurai Way/Have you seen me (Dutched): Taking fitness on trust here but I don't like the favourite and if either of these two is fit and ready I fancy them to turn him over.
 
Well done, stodge, such tipping!

Suntini 3/1
Dot's Delight 15/2
Stoney's Treasure 11/1
Spear Thistle 1/1

I hope you had a fantastic day.
 
I didn't see you come through the main entrance, Stodgerino - did you slide in elsewhere? We were covered in a fine red dust by day's end, from the howling gale channelling through the open doors and picking up the ground-down 'kitty litter' which they've used for the entrance. After days of it by the end of the week, we'll resemble Australian gold prospectors.
 
Lingfield Review 24/11

First, the review...

This afternoon’s NH meeting at Lingfield was the second of the new season. A fair crowd was in attendance despite a blustery, but generally dry day. Recent rain had, however, had a major effect on the ground, which was officially soft on the chase course and heavy for the hurdlers.

The opening race was a handicap chase over two miles. Money came for SEBASTIANO, who was backed in to 7/4 allowing both SUNTINI and BABE HEFFRON to drift. The latter led and jumped boldly but approaching the third last, the pack was closing. SUNTINI went on and readily drew clear for a good win on his chasing debut. BABE HEFFRON kept on well for second and time may tell he faced an impossible task on level terms with the winner. GABRESELASSIE is clearly a lesser light at the Jonjo O’Neill yard and never really looked like challenging despite running over a shorter trip. SEBASTIANO was disappointing.

Race two was a novices’ hurdle for mares over two miles. The market suggested this would be a match between MEGASUE and LA SARRAZINE but the race didn’t work out that way. LA SARRAZINE was well enough supported and JP McManus was on course but the mare never looked happy and hit the flight at the top of the hill after which she was always struggling. AP didn’t get too hard on the mare and I’ve no doubt better ground will see her in a different light.

MEGASUE was always prominent along with MINELLA MISTAKE, who ran a huge race at a bigger price. DOT’S RETURN was always going well and improved to go prominent approaching two out. She duelled up the straight with MEGASUE and prevailed in the last 50 yards to win a shade cosily. The winner was well ridden by Peter Toole, who looks a jockey of potential and she seems to be improving. MEGASUE did very little wrong but I can’t help but think a bit further will help. MINELLA MISTAKE ran a big race in third with LA SARRAZINE in fourth.

Race three was a Beginners’ chase over two miles. The money came for SUNNYHILLBOY who was backed in to 4/6 despite a moderate chasing debut. This was a much weaker field and he was never pushed until challenged in the last 100 yards by AWARD LEADER, also in the McManus ownership. The proximity of AWARD LEADER makes me think this form amounts to very little while ENFANT DE LUNE found very little once the pace lifted from the second last.

Race four was a novices’ hurdle race over just shy of two and a half miles. I didn’t make copious notes for this as I was too busy cheering home STONEY’S TREASURE who put up an excellent performance and built on his encouraging Sandown Bumper form in what was admittedly a weak event.

Race five was a handicap chase over three miles. This produced the performance of the day from FINE PARCHMENT who was backed in to 3/1 favouritism and never looked like losing. He jumped superbly and readily held off the challenge of PORTRAIT ROYALE and QUAZY DE JOIE over the final two fences. The winner looks a potential staying chaser to follow and races like the Welsh and Midlands Nationals could be on his agenda someday though possibly next season. PORTRAIT ROYALE did nothing wrong and came up against a good one today. One of two of these were disappointing including DUSK, who was pulled up before two out when well beaten and UNCLE ELI, who also failed to build on his unlucky effort at Towcester.

Race six was the afternoon’s feature, a handicap hurdle over two miles. To be honest, this was a disappointing field for the prize but pre-race betting was interesting with LEMON SILK, who had won the Grade 2 Juvenile hurdle over CD in December 2007, backed from 8s to 4s. However, he could never get to grips with SPEAR THISTLE, who trotted up, clearing away from the second last. The winner is a useful sort in this grade but this was a pretty soft prize though credit to Charlie Mann and Noel Fehily, who were recording a quick double.

However, Noel Fehily wasn’t done with as he upgraded to a treble with a win in the concluding Bumper, run on the Polytrack. BEHINDCLOSEDDOORS was backed down to 9/4 and overhauled long-time leader DI KAPRIO in the final furlong. The second was well supported and ran a most encouraging debut, as did the third REINRIVER and the fourth VALERIES GIRL. I don’t think this was a very strong Bumper but these early season 3-y-o races over a mile and half or similar are often difficult to resolve.

Apologies for not saying hello, Jon. I arrived with a lot of punters off the train and just went for a queue on the right-hand side. I hope to be at the next NH meeting on the 12th.

It was an excellent afternoon - the best I've had for some time at the races. I might be at Folkestone next Monday and I'll probably give it all back then.
 
Oh, nice to hear you did well over the sticks, Stodge. I'd only just recovered from the surprise of having Jonjo O'Neill attend our first NH meeting (very jolly and quite tiny he was, too) than to have the great JP McManus attending before me today. His very first visit to Lingfield. Very jolly and quite tiny he was, too! Considering his health probs recently, he looked in fine fettle.

The ground was truly squelchy. When we walked over the turf from the centre to the stands this a.m., I was amazed at how far the footfall went, and how much water squeezed up out of the ground. Going home, I noted how, although some divots got flung up, there's such a good rooting of grass that most were 'scalped' pieces, just cut and pulled forward, but not actually ripped out of the ground. Neil's certainly got a nice thick, springy cut of grass down for the winter programme.
 
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