ALL WEATHER CHAMPIONSHIP DAY: I’m really excited about this year’s All Weather Championships. It really takes a couple of years for these big racedays to bed and this looks like it’s a real niche in the calendar for us and should get bigger and better every year.
I’m focusing on Lingfield today with a brief look at tomorrow’s racing in Meydan but for today, Lingfield looks like being a really strong card.
In the opening race, the Filly and Mare Conditions Stakes, Cold As Ice is quite a short price, although she deserves to be off a rating of 107, she’s definitely the class horse in the race. I’m going with a little value on a horse I know quite well, Alfajer. I think she’s a decent price for this and will like the track. I got beaten on her last August over course and distance when I sat too far back but with Blinkers on today, that should help her concentrate a little more and I think she’s great value.
The second race is the Sprint Championship and the one I really fancy here is Goken for Kevin Ryan and Graham Lee. He won last time out over course and distance so will like the track. He’s got a touch of class about him as he was only beaten 2 lengths in the Prix De l’Abbaye at Longchamp two years ago when coming from an awful draw.
Another one of note in the Sprint is Alben Star who’s going back up to six furlongs here having run over five last time out. That was a little sharp for him and having stuck out wide he was never really a threat that day. Back up in trip and he’s been aimed specially for this race and I think he’s got a big chance.
The Marathon at 2.40 is another interesting race. Down at the bottom is Moonrise Landing for Ralph Beckett and Jim Crowley and I think they’ll do well to beat her. She’s an absolutely lovely mover and covers the ground so easily. Age looks to have brought out the best in her!
Ballynanty for Andrew Balding is one that’s worth a second look. He was unlucky last time out when second to Anglophile, having been tight for room and having to switch to the outside, he came with a strong late run. The tongue tie went on for the first time that day and it looked to help and being back on today should have a good effect again.
In the Mile at 3.15, Mindyourownbusiness is the form horse having won three out of his four starts this Winter. His only defeat came over a mile and a quarter which was just too far. My big worry with him is that he flopped in this race last year and never got into contention.
I like Sovreign Debt a lot. He ran a great race last time under a 5lb penalty and rarely runs a bad race. He’s the highest rated horse in the field at 113 and they could find it hard to pass him.
The Easter Classic is the big race of the day and I think Battalion has a big chance. Patsy Cosgrove knows him really well, although he can be difficult to settle sometimes, but if he does settle, he’s sure to run a big race. You can put a line through his last run when he never got a break coming from the back of the pack.
Grendisar is a short priced favourite and having won the Winter Derby, he’s the one to catch. He does need a lot of things to go right for him and if there was a slow pace early on, that wouldn’t suit him and I’m taking Battalion to win the feature.
The Penultimate race is the 3 Year Old Sprint and David Barron looks to have a good one in Wolowitz. He’s improving all the time and we know he’ll like the track having won around here before. It just looks like he’s going the right way all the time and this could be a big race for him.
Generous John looks like a big danger but he’s a tricky ride and there’s no guarantee that he’ll go straight. If he does go straight, he’ll go close.
The final race of the day is the 3 Year Old Mile Championship and like most of Roger Varian’s, Haalick looks like a true improver. He’s lightly raced but he won the Spring Cup quite impressively the last day at Lingfield and he should have more improvement in him.
Race Day is likely to set the race up well and runs today in a Visor for the first time having had blinkers on previously. It could be hard for him to fend off Haalick again though.
Tomorrow over in Dubai the World Cup takes centre stage at Meydan and there’s some great racing there to look forward to.
In the Al Quoz Sprint, I’ve been really impressed by Ertijaal lately. He was really good the last day and he just looks like an uncomplicated ride. I think his connections will try to keep things simple enough and let him bounce out from stall 6. He’s got so much speed and I think he could be a very good sprinter.
In the World Cup, all the talk is about California Chrome but he’s drawn very wide again this year. He’s got a tongue tie on and they’ve given a prep run this time which should help him but he didn’t have to work too hard that to win.
Frosted is the one I’d like to see winning. He won so easily at the start of February at Meydan in the race that Prince Bishop was 2nd in before winning the World Cup so it’s a proven route. He’s got a lot of pace and he’s got a slightly better draw than California Chrome. It would be great to see William Buick take such a big prize two years in a row.
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