Horse racing tips for All-Weather Finals Day at Lingfield
Our horse racing tipster previews the All-Weather Championships Finals Day at Lingfield Park, including three Betway-sponsored races.
Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes (14:00)
RANCH HAND (win)
ISLAND BRAVE (each-way)
A field of seven have been declared for the Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes.
Rainbow Dreamer has been the long-time market leader, although there are several doubts over the eight-year-old's ability to handle such the tight track at Lingfield Park.
A good case could be made for Ranch Hand, trained by Betway ambassador Andrew Balding, who won this race in 2015 with Mymatechris. He won a qualifier at Chelmsford recently and, on the best of his turf form, must have a major shout.
A case must also be made for the outsider Island Brave, who has beaten Australis both times they have met. At the prices, he represents good each-way value.
He wasn’t by beaten too much in his prep run in the Betway Handicap at Newcastle and has a good record at Lingfield Park, too.
Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes (15:10)
HARRY'S BAR (win)
TINTO (each-way)
A maximum field of 12 have been declared for the Betway All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes.
The most intriguing runner is without doubt the Irish runner Harry’s Bar, trained by Ado McGuinness. Although he’s been beaten on his last two starts - including over a mile at Dundalk recently - it’s worth remembering that when formally trained by James Fanshaw in the UK, this horse was two from two at Lingfield Park.
His victory over the 111-rated Speak In Colours at Dundalk in February reads very well and he could be a cut above his rivals in this open-looking contest.
If the market speaks in favour of the Karl Burke-trained Exalted Angel, who won the Betway Kachy Stakes on his latest start over course and distance, then a big run could be expected.
At a bigger price, Tinto could also go well. He’s not had the rub of the green in three starts this calendar year, but on his best form is very capable and could run into a place.
Betway Easter Classic All-Weather Middle Distance Championships Conditions Stakes (16:15)
BANGKOK (win)
PALAVECINO (each-way)
The feature race of the day is the Betway Easter Classic, a race run over 1m2f.
On ratings, Bangkok - trained by Betway ambassador Andrew Balding - is the one they all have to beat. The five-year-old will be suited to a small field, and although he was well beaten in Riyadh on his latest start, he was a very impressive winner of the Betway Winter Derby Trial over course and distance in February.
He’s got a potent turn of foot and if the race turns into a sprint he’ll be the one to benefit.
A mention must be made for Palavecino for the Brian Meehan yard. He was a very good fourth in the Betway Quebec Stakes in December and has been freshened up for this since. He’s got plenty of pace and is a course winner at Lingfield Park, too.
Bombardier All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes (16:45)
KHUZAAM (win)
BLESS HIM (each-way)
One of the most fascinating and competitive races of Finals Day is the Bombardier All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes.
Two horses have dominated the antepost market for the race in the shape of Khuzaam and Mums Tipple. The former is a very lightly-raced five-year-old, but he was mightily impressive at Chelmsford on his recent prep run.
Prior to that, he’d managed two good second-place finishes at Kempton and Deauville, coming behind a very smart horse on each occasion. They seem to have had a clear run with him of late, so he’s going to be very dangerous.
The other named horse, Mums Tipple, has disappointed in five starts since bolting up in a sales race at York in August 2019, but showed a return to form when beaten by less than two lengths in the Betway Kachy Stakes.
Stepped up in trip to 7f, he won the Bombardier Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton in mid-March in impressive fashion. He’s stepping back up to 1m for the first time since the 2000 Guineas last season, where he failed to beat a rival home.
Bless Him has been running in Meydan this winter and has been performing with great credit in Group 2 races. He was second at Lingfield Park on his only ever run at the Surrey racecourse, but he is a strong travelling horse who will be switched off to come late under Jamie Spencer. He’s got solid place claims.
Bombardier All-Weather Championships Apprentice Handicap (17:15)
AYR HARBOUR (win)
OH THIS IS US (each-way)
The final race of the meeting is the Apprentice Handicap. You don’t have to be eagle-eyed to spot that leading all-weather trainer Mick Appleby has booked Benoit De La Sayette – the most promising young rider in the weighing room – for the ride on Ayr Harbour.
This horse has won three of his last four starts and is clearly relishing life at present. He’s a course-and-distance winner and, with the aid of De La Sayette’s 7lb claim, could be very tough to beat.
At a bigger price, the eight-year-old, Oh This Is Us is expected to go very well under Luke Catton. He’s a course winner – he actually won the Mile Championships race in 2019 - and has won over this distance. He's gone close in recent runs at Lingfield, too.
He had a mid-winter break, but came back with an encouraging four-length defeat at Wolverhampton in March that would have put him spot on for this.
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