Check out what the trainers say ahead of Saturday's big-race action at Lingfield.
3.25 Betway Winter Derby Trial Stakes
Al Zaraqaan will bid to enhance his all-weather record of four wins is as many starts in Lingfield’s Listed Betway Winter Derby Trial.
Victorious at Newcastle last time out on his first start for new connections, the ex-Shadwell gelding has course form at Lingfield having taken a mile-and-a-half handicap at the track in 2020.
Previously campaigned by William Haggas and now with Archie Watson, the horse has a string of valuable all-weather contests in his sights and will run in stakes company for the first time away from the turf at the weekend.
“He’s unbeaten on the all-weather and he has won at Lingfield before, so it bodes well,” said Simon Turner, director of racing for owners Hambleton Racing.
“Hopefully he’ll be fully effective over this distance, it’s a nice spot to run a horse like him. He was only bought at the end of October and we’re already pitching into decent races with him.”
Richard Hannon saddles Fancy Man, with the four-year-old a winner on his sole all-weather start at the track in September when taking a 12-furlong event after second-placed runs in the Rose of Lancaster Stakes and the Winter Hill Stakes, both Group Three contests.
Hannon has since taken the horse to work on Kempton’s Polytrack surface and expects him to be competitive given his high-calibre form on the turf.
“We took Fancy Man and a few others to Kempton on Tuesday for a piece of work and he’s in good order,” he said.
“He has performed well on the surface before and, looking at the race, he should have a leading chance on his best form.”
The Winter Derby is under consideration for the colt’s next assignment, but there could be a trip to the Middle East in the works should he impress.
“Depending on how this weekend goes, he has an entry in the Amir Trophy in Qatar in a couple of weeks and we will have a look at the Betway Winter Derby as well,” said Hannon.
William Knight will be represented by King Of The South, an experienced and consistent all-weather performer who has won his previous three starts.
Those victories were all over longer trips, but the gelding does have form over a mile and a quarter having won twice over the distance.
“He’s not one who ever does too much on the gallops at home, but he’s a lovely, big horse who saves it for his races, which is always the right way round,” said Knight.
“It will be very interesting to see how he fares on Saturday, going back to a mile and a quarter. He’s definitely raised his game this winter.”
Mark and Charlie Johnston have two chances in the shape of Living Legend and Rose Of Kildare.
Living Legend was not beaten far when third over 12 furlongs at Lingfield in January, whereas 2020 Musidora Stakes winner Rose Of Kildare returns to the track after a 511-day absence.
Anthony Carson’s Starry Eyes completes the field of six when making her third start for the trainer after leaving the yard of Jane Chapple-Hyam.
4.00 Betway Kachy Stakes
Rohaan looks to get his season under way on the all-weather as he takes on the Listed Kachy Stakes.
The David Evans-trained four-year-old enjoyed a successful 2020, proving his effectiveness on artificial surfaces before taking to the turf and landing both the Pavilion and the Sandy Lane Stakes and then triumphing in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot.
Last seen in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October, the gelding has since had a break and Evans reports him to be in fine fettle ahead of a winter in which he is likely to look for success overseas as well as on home ground.
“He has done really well for a break. He has put on weight and matured into a strong, powerful horse,” Evans said.
“Beyond this, he has an entry for the turf sprint in Saudi and there is also the Dubai World Cup meeting to think about.
“They would look two nice options and we will see how things unfold in the coming weeks.”
Karl Burke has a trio of runners, with reigning champion Exalted Angel poised to defend his title after striking at 20-1 under Clifford Lee this time last season.
Drawn in stall four, the six-year-old defeated Fizzy Feet by a neck last term from a much wider berth.
“All three are in great form, but he seems as well as I’ve ever had him,” Burke said. “It’s a tough race, I think if anything it’s slightly better than last year’s race, but he’s got a nice draw in four and goes there with a great chance of at least a place.”
Stablemate Lord Of The Lodge was a winner at Kempton over six furlongs in January and has developed into a consistent horse on the all-weather, though Burke feels seven furlongs is his favoured trip.
“I think seven is probably a better trip for him, certainly on a sharp track like Lingfield. But he goes there in great form,” he said. “He has a decent draw again (stall five) and we expect a big run for him.”
Burke also runs the Highclere-owned Spycatcher, who has been narrowly beaten in his two runs on the all-weather when running over seven furlongs at both Lingfield and Wolverhampton late last year.
“He was a bit unlucky when he ran at Lingfield, another stride and he’d have probably had the race,” the trainer said.
“I was a bit surprised he didn’t finish his race out at Wolverhampton – I’m not sure why, he looked like the winner a furlong and a half out, coming into the straight, and then didn’t quite get there.
“He didn’t quite pick up as quickly as I thought he would, but a fast pace on Saturday will suit him very well and again, he goes there in very good form.”
David Loughnane is represented by the aforementioned Fizzy Feet, a horse with a poignant connection to the race as her owner, Dave Lowe, also owned the race’s namesake Kachy – winner of the event in both 2018 and 2019.
“She nearly completed a dream for us last year, she just got pipped on the line but she did everything right and just got found out in the last 100 yards unfortunately,” he said of the filly. We go back there again, we’ve got a lovely draw again this year (stall two).
“Although on ratings we’re probably not as good as some of the others, running round Lingfield she’s a different horse.
“If she gets the rail to guide her round she’s a different horse altogether, she’ll fight all day long and she doesn’t need to lead, she can come from off the pace and she should get a good position from that draw.”
Ismail Mohammed’s Good Effort is a key challenger having taken the race in 2020 and also landed the Golden Rose Stakes, another six-furlong Listed race at Lingfield, for the past two years.
Peter Charalambous’ Apollo One, Scott Dixon’s One Night Stand and Keith Dalgleish’s Soldier’s Minute complete the field of nine.
