14:55 Lingfield

Saturday 2 February 2019

All12:3513:1013:4514:2014:5515:3016:05

Betway Winter Derby Trial Stakes (Listed)

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 2m 1.53s

(2)

Wissahickon⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-3| J: L Dettori| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 117| CD

8/15

Decisive winner of the Cambridgeshire (1m1f) at Newmarket in September and has also looked the full package on the AW (4-5); simply blew the opposition away in the Listed Quebec Stakes over C&D in December; Frankie Dettori's first UK ride in 2019.

Form: 118111-

(8)

Abe Lincoln^p,t¹⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 9-0| J: R L Moore| T: J Noseda| OR: 98| CD

18/1

Eased when beaten in the Cambridgeshire in September (23rd of 33); has a fair AW strike-rate (3-9) but yet to prove that he's better than a handicapper; posted a modest recent C&D comeback run (sixth to Pactolus).

Form: 11330-6

(7)

Big Country^p⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 9-0| J: L Morris| T: M Appleby| OR: 109| D

5/1

A flag-bearer for the Horse Watchers; has progressed beyond handicap company, and twice a runner-up in C&D Listed races this winter (Churchill and Quebec Stakes); needs to reverse form with Wissahickion (on 8lb better terms).

Form: 313522-

(1)

Chiefofchiefs^p²⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-0| J: R Kingscote| T: C Fellowes| OR: 93| D

14/1

Back from a six-month break when staying on well and beating Family Fortunes by a neck in a Class 3 handicap at Kempton (1m) last month; 2-4 on the AW and does stay 1m2f; faces a tough task at these weights.

Form: 56147-1

(3)

Court House²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: R Havlin| T: J & T Gosden| OR: 105| C

5/1

€200,000 yearling; stablemate of Wissahickon; brought his AW record to 4-7 when beating Scarlet Dragon by 4½L in a match contest here last month (1m4f); on the upgrade and should go well, although unlikely to trouble Wissahickon.

Form: 12224-1

(9)

In The Lope⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: A Kirby| T: Mme P Brandt

16/1

French raider (trainer is 1-11; 9% at Lingfield Park); 2-6 on the AW (33%) and arrives on the back of a ready 1m1f+ handicap win at Deauville; finished fourth to Master Of The World in the 2017 Churchill Stakes (C&D).

Form: 436621-

(6)

Main Street²²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: David Probert| T: D R C Elsworth| OR: 99| D

20/1

With John Gosden when last seen in competitive action finishing down the field (15th of 16) in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot; sold for £300,000 since; defending an unbeaten AW record (2-2 in novice company; 1m-1m2f).

Form: 51/120-

(4)

Time To Study^p1¹⁴¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: J P Spencer| T: Ian Williams| OR: 101| D

33/1

With Mark Johnston when finishing sixth to Withhold in the 2018 Northumberland Plate (2m) and last seen in competitive action in the Mallard (1m6f+) at Doncaster in September; cheekpieces applied on debut for Ian Williams; likely to struggle.

Form: 464009-

Non-Runners

(5)

Dash Of Spice²⁰³

Weight: 9-0| Age: 5

T: D R C Elsworth J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Wissahickon (8/15), Big Country (5/1), Court House (5/1), Dash Of Spice (6/1), Chiefofchiefs (14/1), In The Lope (16/1), Abe Lincoln (18/1), Main Street (20/1), Time To Study (33/1)

Very difficult to look beyond the obvious such is the ultra-progressive profile of the John Gosden-trained WISSAHICKON. Back on the AW in the Listed Quebec Stakes in December he absolutely toyed with the admirable Big Country and despite a not inconsiderable turnaround at the weights, it must be considered as highly unlikely that those placings can be reversed. Stablemate Court House (the mount of Rab Havlin) has a fair chance of following him home.