2024 Lingfield & Thurles Sunday Tips – DS
2024 Lingfield & Thurles Sunday Tips
We managed to land a couple of places on Saturday. Darwell Lion and Dayzee both placed despite drifting markedly. Make Good didn’t fancy it, Zarzyni was never put into the race and Hutchie was ‘backed’ but I think the ground turned a bit too testing for him. We finally get to see some jumping at the Winter Million Festival today, check out Dave’s 2024 Lingfield & Thurles Sunday tips below.
1.15 Lingfield – Lightning Novices’ Chase (Grade 2)
Only five runners in this Grade 2 Chase for the novices. All five come into the race in good form and there isn’t a huge amount between them on paper. That is reflected in the betting with Djelo the fav at 5/2 and Pembroke the longest priced horse at 8/1. With only two places on offer, this is an easy race for us to swerve. No bet.
2024 Lingfield & Thurles Sunday Tip: No Bet
1.35 Thurles – Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase (Grade 2)
With two non-runners, just four horses remain in the running for this Grade 2. We backed Appreciate It at Leopardstown last time and he ran well but the trip proved beyond him. This will suit him much better and he should give Allaho plenty to think about.
French Dynamite and Stattler didn’t show much encouragement last time out and the latter horse needs much further than 20f surely. Appreciate It is just 5/2 so we will sit this race out too. No bet.
2024 Lingfield & Thurles Sunday Tip: No Bet
1.50 Lingfield – Godstone Handicap Chase (Class 2)
Given the prize money on offer, I’m amazed only six horses run in this. No bookmakers are paying extra places so it doesn’t make much appeal. If the ground were as heavy as it usually is at Lingfield, I’d fancy First Flow to run big but it probably isn’t soft enough for him.
Saint Segal is the fav after he fell with the race at his mercy at Ascot last time out. The ground should suit him but he has to prove he can win off this mark. Frero Banbou has been pretty well backed and he won over C&D two years ago off 134. He’s been running creditably without winning over further this season and this drop back in trip could be just what the doctor ordered.
The King of Prs can’t be discounted. He is in a four timer and Gavin Cromwell has a fine record with his UK raiders. Triple Trade has won here over hurdles but all his best form is on ground with good in the description.
That leaves Real Stone. He won a race by a wide margin at Haydock off 123 on his penultimate start. He flopped back there last time but that was on bottomless ground. This ground should be more to his liking but he is off a career high mark today of 132. Maybe the 9yo can improve again but he is 2lbs wrong here and with just two places on offer again, I’m going to leave him alone. No bet.
2024 Lingfield & Thurles Sunday Tip: No bet
2.25 Lingfield – Hamilton Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)
Finally! A decent sized field of ten will go to post for this valuable pot. The winner takes home 30k+ and I’m hoping Midnightreflection can snaffle a bit of prize money. Trained by Ben Case, this five time winning mare ran a nice enough race off 125 last time at Kempton (24f gd/sft). She just got tired in the last half a furlong and this slight drop in trip should suit on that evidence.
The last time she raced at this distance she won off 122 at Ascot in November. That was on good ground but she has won and placed on soft before so the ground should be fine for her today. That soft ground win came off 129 at Wetherby in 2021 and she races off a 4lbs lower mark this afternoon.
Harry Bannister has a win and a second from four rides on Ben Case’s charge and 10 of Case’s 21 previous Lingfield runners have hit the frame (1 winner). Bannister is 11/70 for the yard with a further 35 top 4 finishers, hopefully he can improve on that decent record on Midnightreflection at odds of 18/1.
2024 Lingfield & Thurles Sunday Tip: Midnightreflection e/w @ 18/1 (4 places) nb
3.00 Lingfield – Fleur De Lys Chase (Class 2)
Just five runners in the day’s feature. The headline act is L’Homme Presse who returns after over a year off. I am a huge fan of this horse and if he is fit and healthy he is going to be hard to beat at this trip.
Protektorat is another horse I have a lot of time for, even though he let us down in the Gold Cup last season. If he turns up in the same form that he showed when winning the Betfair Chase in 2022 he is capable of beating these and crucially, he has match fitness on his side after two runs this term.
Full Back looks well out of his depth and surely the trip is on the short side for Iwilldoit these days. Does He Know probably wants further too and he would need to improve a stone anyway if the top two are at their best. This is unfortunately another no bet affair but hopefully L’Homme Presses shows what he is capable of and lays down a marker for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
2024 Lingfield & Thurles Sunday Tip: No bet
3.35 Lingfield – Surrey National Handicap Chase (Class 3)
Movethechains was on my radar for this race but unfortunately, his price has collapsed. He has a fine course record and he’s probably been trained for this. He is now 12lbs lower than when 2nd on his last visit to Lingfield (29f gd) but my worry is whether he’ll see out this marathon trip on soft ground. Gary Moore’s charge has yet to win beyond 23.5f and that, along with his current price, is enough to put me off.
The one that appeals most at bigger odds is Blade Runner. Last sighted pulling up on bottomless ground at the Welsh National, this better ground should suit him today. Chris Gordon’s charge was out of the handicap too at Chepstow but he gets to run off his correct mark of 122 this afternoon.
This son of Great Pretender started the season well with successive wins at Chepstow (23f sft) and Plumpton (25f gd/sft). He had Dom Of Mary 4L back in fourth at Plumpton and he has since boosted that form by hacking up in the Sussex National. They met off level weights that day and the Bridgwater horse is now rated 127.
Obviously, you have to forgive this horse his last two runs. I’m not sure why he ran so poorly over hurdles at Ascot but he definitely had a valid excuse in the Welsh National. Prior to Chepstow, the 8yo was 5/6 in chases and back in these relatively calmer waters, hopefully he can resume his progress. At odds of 20/1, Blade Runner is the e/w selection.
