14:35 Lingfield

Saturday 19 December 2020

All11:4512:1512:5013:2514:0014:3515:1015:40

Betway Handicap

Off time: 14:36 | Winning time: 2m 27.97s

(3)

Scarlet Dragon^h⁹²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-12| J: R L Moore| T: A King| OR: 102| D

11/1

Latest win at Royal Ascot in June. Fifth of 8 in handicap at Newbury (12f, good, 9/2). Off 92 days. Booking of Moore a plus. Others make more appeal.

Form: 4-51775

(7)

El Ghazwani^t⁹³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-10| J: D Tudhope| T: D O'Meara| OR: 100| C

25/1

6-time course winner. 2 wins from 6 runs this year. Fourth of 7 in handicap (12/1) at Pontefract (10f, good), slowly away. 16 lb higher now. Off 93 days. Something to find on form.

Form: 119644

(2)

Koeman¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 9-7| J: David Probert| T: M R Channon| OR: 97| CD

9/1

C&D winner. 11/1, career best when winning 7-runner handicap at Wolverhampton (12.2f) 14 days ago. Looks vulnerable even after a small rise.

Form: 293691

(4)

Furzig¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: J Garritty| T: R A Fahey| OR: 97| CD

10/1

C&D winner. 9/1, third of 5 in handicap at this course (10f, AW) 17 days ago, not ideally placed. Mark looks about right at the moment.

Form: 806623

(6)

Pirate King³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: S Donohoe| T: C Fellowes| OR: 95| CD

7/1

3-time C&D winner. Fourth of 5 in handicap (9/2) at Kempton (12f) 31 days ago. Generally progressive on AW and may do better still, so worthy of consideration.

Form: 641-114

(8)

Soghan^p1,t³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-12| J: S W Kelly| T: R Hughes| OR: 88| CD

11/1

C&D winner. Latest win at Wolverhampton in September. 4/1, creditable second of 9 in handicap at Kempton (16f) 31 days ago, having run of race. Solid claims with cheekpieces on back down in trip.

Form: 5/1-4912

(5)

Red October^v1¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 8-12| J: James Doyle| T: H Palmer| OR: 88

13/2

2 wins from 6 runs this year. 4¼ lengths fifth of 7 to Koeman in handicap at Wolverhampton (12.2f, 7/1) 14 days ago. Visor on 1st time. Not discounted.

Form: 101065

(1)

Al Zaraqaan¹⁹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-10| J: Tom Marquand| T: W J Haggas| OR: 90

11/10

Promising type. 2 wins from 2 runs this year. Won 8-runner minor event at Kempton (11f, 8/15) 19 days ago. Makes handicap debut. Should take all the beating.

Form: 0-11

Forecasts

Al Zaraqaan (11/10), Red October (13/2), Pirate King (7/1), Koeman (9/1), Furzig (10/1), Scarlet Dragon (11/1), Soghan (11/1), El Ghazwani (25/1)

AL ZARAQAAN is highly progressive and seemed to have a fair amount in hand when making a successful AW debut in a novice at Kempton last time, so he's capable of improving past some more exposed sorts now switched to handicaps. The in-form Soghan is the likeliest to capitalise if the selection disappoints.