Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday Tips

It was a struggle for us last weekend at Warwick and Kempton. Doyen Breed was our only place, though Scipion did run a cracker. The rest of them were woeful but that can often happen at this time of year. The quality is of a much higher standard at Lingfield on Friday, thankfully. We’ll also take in some average races (and a Listed bumper) at Market Rasen. Hopefully, we can get back on track. Check out Dave Stevos’ Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday preview below.

1.30 Market Rasen – Handicap Hurdle (Class 4)

We kick off with a 23f handicap hurdle at Market Rasen and the ground is good to soft. Eleven are due to go to post and it is an exceedingly trappy affair. One that looks just a shade overpriced at odds of 8/1 is Florrie Knox for Alistair Ralph and Nick Schofield. This horse was formerly trained by Alex Hales but he moved to Ralph’s in the off season. He made his stable debut on his return from an 11 month break at Leicester (20f gd/sft) and he was far from disgraced in 5th off a mark of 112.

It was a fine effort over a trip plenty short for him and the step back up to 23f is in his favour today. On his last start at this distance he finished 2nd, beat 7L, off 117. The son of Gold Well is in off 110 today, a career low rating. He has run very well on his two previous visits to Market Rasen, winning a Novice (20f sft) and then finishing a fine 4th in a class 2 handicap off 127 (23f gd). Ralph has had two winners from his last four runners, which is an obviosu positive. Also,  Nick Schofield is 10/43 with another 12 places when riding for this yard. At odds of 8/1, Florrie Knox is the each way selection.

Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday Tips: Florrie Knox e/w @ 8/1 (4 Places Multiple Firms)

1.50 Lingfield – Handicap Chase (Class 2)

The ground at Lingfield is heavy for the first day of the Winter Million meeting. That won’t be ideal for a few of these but one horse who’ll be delighted with the conditions is Beaufort West. This son of Getaway’s last run on this sort of ground resulted in an excellent 2nd behind High Up In The Air at Sandown (15.5f hvy). That was back in February off a mark of 128 and he gets in today off 15lbs lower.

Andy Irvine’s horses look like they are starting to hit a bit of form too. It is a while since his last winner but he had an 80/1 second on Wednesday and three of his last four runners have shaped nicely enough. I’d imagine this horse was bought with this race in mind and connections will delighted with the ground. Beaufort West has had just two runs on heavy, yielding form figures of 12. His two runs in December were poor but I am hoping they were just prep runs for this contest. At odds of 33/1, hopefully gives us a decent run for our money.

Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday Tips: Beaufort West e/w @ 33/1 NB (3 places Coral)

2.05 Market Rasen – Handicap Hurdle (Class 4)

Another low grade affair, this time a handicap hurdle over the minimum trip. It looks a pretty open contest and the one I’m taking a chance on is Kings Creek for Walford and Hamilton. This 5yo son of Elusive Quality produced three poor efforts on his first three outings for Mark Walford. However, it was a lot more like it at Catterick last time out (19f gd/sft). He was beat less than 2L for the win off 100 and he races off the same mark today.

The drop back in distance isn’t a worry as his only previous hurdling win came at 15.5f. Good/good to soft ground is fine for him and he has run respectably on his two previous visits to Market Rasen. Walford has a fine record at this track (11 wins, 46 top 4s from 97 runners) and Jamie Hamilton takes over from a 7lb claimer. This horse can be keen at times so the key will be getting him to settle. If he does, Kings Creek could sneak into the money at odds of 18/1.

Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday Tips: Kings Creek e/w @ 18/1 (4 Places Hills)

2.25 Lingfield – Cazoo Hurdle (Class 2)

A field of just five will go to post in this class 2 hurdle and you could make a case for four of them. On The Blind Side is the top rated and he has the best form in the race. Back in November he was just 2L behind Thomas Darby in a Grade 2 at Newbury and if he repeated that, he’d be hard to beat. However, he has failed to fire the last twice and he was particularly disappointing at Cheltenham last time out when pulled up. Heavy ground is a plus for him though and it wouldn’t be surprising if he bounced back.

Calva D’Auge represents Paul Nicholls and he too flopped last time at Newbury (20f gd/sft). He previously landed successive handicaps at Taunton off 140 (24f gd/fm) and Kempton off 144 (21f gd). He has won on heavy ground at Plumpton but he is probably almost a stone better on nice ground. Emitom will relish the ground. His sole start on heavy resulted in a career best G2 win at Haydock (24f) in February 2020. He hasn’t run badly over fences the last twice and the return to hurdles shouldn’t be an issue.

Top Ville ben is better known as a chaser these days and he was pulled up on his last hurdling outing at Auteuil. He won twice over hurdles on heavy back in 2017 so the ground is fine and he did shape better last time at Wetherby. He hasn’t won since 2019 though and consistency isn’t his strong suit. If I was having a bet here it would probably be on Emitom but at 3/1 he is too short. I’m happy to keep a watching brief and this is a no bet race.

Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday Tips: No Bet

2.40 Market Rasen – NH Flat Race (Listed)

Milton Harris is having a sensational season and he could have another nice horse with Mullenbeg. This 5yo daughter of sire of the moment Walk In The Park ran a couple of decent races in Irish P2Ps. Harris saw enough in those runs to fork out 42k at the sales. On the evidence of her taking debut win at Ludlow (16f sft), that could prove to be a snip. She was held up, made headway turning in and she put the race to bed between the 2f and 1f poles.

Admittedly, that wasn’t the strongest of races but she could do no more than beat what was in front of her. Her dam, Oscars Joy, was thought good enough to contest a Listed bumper at Leopardstown but she got injured during that race and never saw the track again. Walk In The Park has had three runners by Oscar mares and one of those won a Listed heat at Haydock in December. The other is 1/2 and a possible Cheltenham Festival runner. Harris has had four winners from his last twelve runners, Mitch Bastyan retains the ride and at odds of 10/1, Mullenbeg is the each way selection.

Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday Tips: Mullenbeg e/w @ 10/1

3.00 Lingfield – Novices Chase (Class 2)

Just the seven are due to go to post for this 23.5f Novices’ Chase and stamina will be at a premium on the heavy ground. It’s going to be a war of attrition and impressive last time out winner at Exeter (19f hvy) Broken Halo heads the market. That was a career best by some distance and it was his first ever run on heavy. Previously, his best efforts came on good to soft and he was pulled up on his only other soft ground run. His full brothers, John Monash and Officer Cadet, did all their winning on nice ground so the worry is that Broken Halo’s Exeter heavy ground run may have been a flash in the pan. If he does take to it again and his stamina holds out, he’ll be tough to beat.

There are a few too many ‘ifs’ in there for me to back him at 5/2 and instead, I am going to take a chance on Bushy Park. Phil Kirby’s inmate is 2/3 on heavy with his only defeat on that kind of ground coming last time at Haydock. That run was too bad to be true and he is better than that. Previously he beat Doyen Breed easily at Kelso (23.5f sft) off 132 and that form was boosted by the runner up last weekend. Unlike the fav, he has proven stamina for this distance on heavy ground and he has nothing to find on the figures. If he gets back to the form he showed on his seasonal return, a big run could be on the cards at odds of 16/1.

Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday Tips: Bushypark e/w @ 16/1 (3 places Betfred)

3.35 Lingfield – Sovereign Handicap Hurdle (Class 2)

Nothing stood out as being overpriced in the 3.15 at Market Rasen so we move straight onto the final live ITV race of the day. A dozen horses will line up behind the tape for this valuable, £100k handicap hurdle. A trip of 16f awaits them and back at his optimum distance on ideal ground, perhaps Chti Balko can outrun his odds for Donald McCain and Theo Gillard. This 10yo son of Balko has shaped nicely enough on all three runs this term. His return at Wetherby (16f gd/sft) was satisfactory considering the ground.

He then headed to Haydock when he found just Green Book too good off 129. McCain’s charge finished 5L behind the winner (6L ahead of the 3rd), to whom he was conceding a stone, and he franked the form by winning again a few days later. A combination of the 19f trip and the run perhaps coming too soon saw Chti Balko finish a well beaten 3rd at the same track last time out.

Chti Balko has had a three week break since that last run (had just 12 days between his previous runs) and he is at his best when going left handed. McCain’s horses continue to run well and Theo Gillard has an excellent frame hitting strike rate of 53% for the trainer (28 wins/123 top 4s from 282 rides). The Irish raiders are obvious dangers but with trip, track and ground all to suit, Chti Balko ticks more than enough boxes to warrant an each way interest at odds of 16/1.

Lingfield and Market Rasen Friday Tips: Chti Balko e/w @ 16/1 NAP (5 places Hills)

-DaveStevos