An excellent and well-subscribed midweek Lingfield all-weather card is where Declan Rix goes for Wednesday’s Race of the Day on Sky Sports Racing.
Unfortunately we don’t have any National Hunt action on Sky Sports Racing on Wednesday, but we do have a well-supported nine-race card at Lingfield starting at 11.25am.
The 10-runner contest BetUK’s Acca Club £5 Free Bets (2.25) it’s where we go looking for a winner.
FOUNDATION
Like many of the starts around Lingfield’s sharp left-hand track, a good draw is needed over 10 furlongs over decent-sized ground as the first turn comes quickly.
As for the conditions on the Polytrack, the surface is labeled as ‘standard’ as of Tuesday. With a dry day forecast for Tuesday and also Wednesday, the surface could get a little slower.
The presence of both Value Theory and three-year-old Chasing Aphrodite means we have a pair of horses who have both run their races recently.
However, both are drawn higher than ideal in stalls eight and 10 respectively, which may mean the early pace will be honest before their jockeys look to put on the brakes.
Lingfield hosts a card of nine races on Wednesday, all live on Sky Sports Racing
LEADING COMPETITORS
Greatgadian
Unbeaten in three starts all-time but yet to race here at Lingfield. However, he has won twice at Chelmsford, another Polytrack surface, so should be at home here. Early season all-weather form was good before dropping out in mid-summer, albeit in hot handicaps.
He finished the turf campaign well though, so with his good gate speed, early pace and was withdrawn in stand three, he has to be respected despite being top weight.
Aerion power
He was taken 11/1 for last season’s Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot, but the draw in stand one was not ideal, seeing him finish a well-kept 11th. Three sound rounds in hot handicaps followed, but he missed all of this year’s Flat Turf season before returning to good form 33 days ago.
Seems pretty dealt with, especially with plenty of all-weather shapes in the book (never run here at Lingfield), so another to consider if it doesn’t pan out.
United Front
The winning filly of this race last season with a mark of less than 2lb. This year’s renewal will be a different contest, mind you, with a bigger field (four were held last year) and a more competitive feel.
At least he comes into the race in good form and from stall six with his good breaking ability he should be in a better position than most. Although he saves his best for all weathers, he feels he may be a little high on his handicap at the moment. Player in every sense yet.
United Frony (Black and Yellow) chase the chance at home to Kempton
Chichester
A horse very well at home in all weathers and in excellent form too. Two starts back at Southwell, they did incredibly well to get within half a length of the winner after a slow start in a tactical race.
In a tighter contest last time, impressed with the way he traveled before winning quite well. He’s looking very good at the moment, but his habit of starting slow or coming into his stride means, as always, he’ll need a bit of luck.
Chasing Aphrodite
One of a trio of three-year-olds racing to keep improving. The young trainer has had an excellent season on the turf and the connections should have some fun with this all-weather son of Profitable this winter. Steps up to 10 furlongs for the first time, which would not be a positive given his sire, but strength on the dam side and sharp track will help.
The draw in 10 could have been better, but not much pace in the race for this prominent contender, which may also help him get home.
The best of the rest
Positive he was a high-class minor and was three years old before injury cut him short. He returned in July after 699 days off, but on the evidence of his two runs this year, he’s not as good as he was. First run after being castrated.
Millebosc is another high-class horse that drops in rank. He was once third at St. Mark’s Basilica in the Prix du Jockey Club. The form subsequently dropped, but so did the rating and must be monitored in the market, having the first round for William Haggas after a 136 day layoff with a good 3lb claimer on board.
Now the eight-year-old Through Serendipity he’s had a wonderful career for his various sets of connections and still remains competitive. He was badly hampered at a critical stage of the race behind Chichester last time and is now 4lb better off to beat by four lengths but still needs a couple of performances to win.
A little over three years Theory of value had a typically busy classic campaign for her trainers after showing plenty of class in a four-run juvenile season. From stall eight, she will look to go forward under Franny Norton.
Recent hold-up performer Makinmedoit is another three-year-old punch here and possibly trainer Harry Eustace’s second string of runners on the jockeys’ reserves. She has her first run in 77 days but looks overpriced on the back of a career best last time out, with Lingfield’s all-weather form already in the books.
verdict
A very good all-weather handicap that can be scrapped in a Wednesday race. Both Theory of value and Chasing Aphrodite are the potential pacesetters here, but with the latter going up to 10 furlongs for the first time, the former can gain a slight advantage in a race that could play on the tactical side. This type of setup would be a negative for a slow starter Chichesteralthough he is clearly in high spirits at the moment and respected.
He left Greatgadian (10/3) and last year’s winner United Front (12/1) as options at early prices, but the nod only goes to GREATGADIAN as a younger and hopefully still more progressive performer in all weathers. Drawn in pit three, it should allow David Egan to get to a near perfect position behind the speed.