2.10 Lingfield - Blue Square Sprint Series Final Handicap
This is a chance for the lesser lights of the sprinting game to pick up some valuable prize money and the race has some decent sorts between marks of 59 and 79 in opposition. There are also one or two absentees that we were expecting to be in here but all of the 24 entered at the 5 day stage stood their ground and therefore there had to be several dissapointed. However it just goes to show that there is a need for this type of race for horses rated below 80 and maybe there will be a few more in the calendar in furture.
On looking at the race it seems to me that it will be between Arctic Lynx, Qadar, Waabel and Rio Royale for any Tricast followers. Qadar recently returned to someting like his best form of a few years ago when winning quite cosily here last weekend, he has in the past been as high as 100 in the Handicap and he goes here off 74 and the stable where considering running him in the listed race at 3.10 but have opted for this instead. There is likely to be a strong pace on from the likes of Waabel, although he mightnt be able to get to the front, which he will be able to sit off and come with a run up the straight. The only downside would be he was never one for running 2 good races together in the past and he might'nt perform this time on only his second run for the yard.
Arctix Lynx won well here last time off 74 and he is an improving horse that has been going really well at home according to his trainer John Best, he had Waabel 1 1/4 lengths behind here when on levels last time and thats how they meet again tomorrow. This will only be his eigth race and he seems to like the polytrack surface, he is drawn 2 so should be able to obtain a handy position to deliver his challenge, George Baker is on board and 3/1 seems a fair price.
Waabel recorded a faster time when beating Garstang than he did when finishing 3rd to Arctic Lynx and that may well have been due to his draw of 2 for the Garstang race and 8 for the other, tomorrow he is drawn 10 and he will need to exert a lot of energy to get to the front from there and for that reason I cant see him winning but he may be placed. Rio Royale is a very consistent sort who keeps getting in the money but they have all run well in one or more of the qualifiers and thats how they've made the final.
On balance Arctic Lynx has a good draw is a lightly raced improver and he is the worthy fav.
3.10 Download Blue Square Iphone App Cleves Stakes (Listed Race)
Well the title of the race is a bit long winded but the race should be over in a flash and it will be interesting to see how the time of this race compares with the earlier Class 5 over the same distance.
There are some good sorts here and its as good a race as you will get on the All Weather and its strange that it doesnt doesnt appear on the C4 schedule for the day, maybe they will show a recording. Still you can watch all the action on Attheraces and Hitchens who won well when last seen out here over the same course and distance back in Novemeber can prevail. She was still able to win there even though her rider dropped his whip and she was always travelling well in what was a strongly run race.
Several of the runners are up against it at the weights as its not a handicap and that is reflected in their price and the best in would appear to be the Irish challenger Duff. Eddie Ahern who knows this course like the back of his hand has been booked to do the steering on him and he has run well on his 2 runs here in the past and he should be thereabouts.
I'm not sure that Angel's Pursuit will be suited by the drop down to 6f here however you can never rule out a Hannon runner these days.
Five Star Junior and Anne of Kiev have been very consistent here in the past and it wouldnt be a suprise to see either of them being involved in the finish even though they are up against it at the weights.
