14:15 Lingfield

Saturday 4 January 2020

All11:4012:1012:4013:1513:4514:1514:5015:25

Betway Heed Your Hunch Handicap

Off time: 14:16 | Winning time: 1m 10.62s

(1)

Boom The Groom¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 9-9| J: Rob Hornby| T: A W Carroll| OR: 77| CD

5/1

Ran well over 5f at Wolverhampton last month on return from five-month absence; previous C&D winner (2015) might be able to build on that effort.

Form: 850467-

(11)

Venture³⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: A Kirby| T: T Ward| OR: 75| D

3/1

Showcasing gelding cost €230,000 as a yearling; made winning start for this trainer in 6f Kempton novice in November (fair form) and interesting contender now going handicapping from attainable mark.

Form: 64/1-

(3)

Alfie Solomons^b⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: M Dwyer| T: Mrs A J Perrett| OR: 73

12/1

Winless sequence extended to 18 after pair of fair defeats over this C&D since joining latest trainer. Eased again in ratings but needs to up his game.

Form: 075658-

(9)

Sword Exceed²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 9-5| J: Jason Hart| T: I Furtado| OR: 73| CD

5/1

4-16 on the AW, with all of those wins coming on Polytrack at this venue and Chelmsford (6f-7f); including over C&D last January. Mark is workable and had a run last month to sharpen him up.

Form: 107069-

(2)

Something Lucky²⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 9-2| J: R Havlin| T: M J Attwater| OR: 70| C| D

10/1

A consistent gelding but winning has eluded him 26 times since last July. He was beaten just a short-head over 5f last month and has a reasonable chance of being in the frame again from the same mark.

Form: 254242-

(6)

Alicia Darcy^b⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-1| J: Hollie Doyle| T: A Watson| OR: 69| CD

4/1

Capable sort that scored four wins during 2019 (not since August) and was only beaten 1L over C&D (second) last week. Raised 1lb for that effort.

Form: 763082-

(5)

Fairy Fast^p⁹²

Age: 4| Weight: 8-11| J: Callum Shepherd| T: L Carter| OR: 65| D

33/1

Placed eight times in 16 career starts but only a single success, coming over 6f at Ripon in May for David O'Meara. Failed to spark for George Boughey after and watching brief safest returning to action for new trainer.

Form: 252620-

(7)

Aguerooo^p,t²⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 8-10| J: J Fanning| T: C Wallis| OR: 64| CD

16/1

Two Lingfield wins in January made it eight career successes in total, hasn't been threatening recently but much close over C&D last month and wouldn't be a big surprise to see him win again soon.

Form: 247084-

(8)

Velvet Morn²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 8-9| J: David Probert| T: W J Knight| OR: 63| D

12/1

Filly with only seven starts under her belt. She won a Kempton novice in March over 6f and shaped with some promise over this C&D last month, ensuring she's one to consider having eased 2lb in ratings since.

Form: 410677-

(12)

Awsaaf^h⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 8-9| J: F Norton| T: M Wigham| OR: 63| D

20/1

Dual winner over 5f at Wolverhampton early last summer, in and out of form since but only beaten 2L last time at Southwell and drops in grade now so can't be discounted from unchanged mark.

Form: 845002-

(10)

Act Of Magic³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 8-8| J: K T O'Neill| T: L McJannet| OR: 62

50/1

Held up and never able to get into race at Kempton last month (7f) on return from break/stable bow. Others make more appeal at the moment.

Form: 141298-

(4)

Mont Kiara⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 8-7| J: L Morris| T: S Dow| OR: 59| C| D

11/1

7f winner here in November and found only one too strong a week ago over same distance, has also won over 6f in the last 12 months. 2lb wrong on these terms.

Form: 709102-

Forecasts

Venture (3/1), Alicia Darcy (4/1), Sword Exceed (5/1), Boom The Groom (5/1), Something Lucky (10/1), Mont Kiara (11/1), Alfie Solomons (12/1), Velvet Morn (12/1), Aguerooo (16/1), Awsaaf (20/1), Fairy Fast (33/1), Act Of Magic (50/1)

Venture made a winning start for new connections at Kempton in November over 6f, defying a 400-day absence in the process. He's respected on handicap bow, but is facing in-form rivals now. Awsaaf and Aguerooo are capable of scoring while Alicia Darcy was second here a week ago and is shortlisted alongside Something Lucky. However, VELVET MORN hasn't had many chances in handicaps and shaped with plenty promise here last month after a tardy start. Eased a further 2lb in the ratings, David Probert's mount is worth chancing at forecast odds.