2.35pm Lingfield Tips & Betting Preview 21/01/2017

A Class 2 Handicap with a prize fund of £19,000 around Lingfield’s sharp 1m 4f and it should be a race to throw up winners before the season is over, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.

IN SUMMARY: Pinzolo is respected as he bids to maintain his unbeaten C&D record but will need to be left alone at the front in order to be at his very best and it’s debatable as to whether that will happen. Preference is for the Roger Charlton-trained ROCK STEADY who is admirably consistent and was just claimed by a nose close home over 1m 6f at Wolverhampton last time out. Dropping a couple of furlongs in trip will help and he is sure to go well. Of the remainder, David Evans’ John Reel makes some each-way appeal back on the flat.

1 PINZOLO – Smart All-Weather performer, winning 3 from 7 starts on the artificial surfaces and 2 from 2 over C&D. Arrives on the back of a convincing win when extending that course record five weeks ago but did have a tactical advantage there, making the running at a steady pace before kicking clear off fractions that made it impossible for those in behind to catch him. Back up 5lbs to a rating of 102 but his other C&D handicap success came off 103 so that shouldn’t be a huge issue. Likely to be tough to beat if the pace scenario is again favourable but it is unlikely that the others will give him as much rope this time around.

2 COHESION – Formerly French trained 4-year-old who debuts for David Bridgwater. Showed some good form in sole four career runs as a 3yo in 2016, winning the first two at Saint-Cloud (1m 2f, Heavy) and (Maisons-Laffitte, Good) before finding Group 3 company a step too far. Adaptable with regards to ground but makes his All-Weather debut here after 126 days off the track and given that his yard are primarily National Hunt orientated, the horse will have been brought over to these shores in order to go hurdling. This might be a spin to blow the cobwebs away and due to the obvious unknowns, he’s best watched for now.

3 JOHN REEL – Not getting any younger, now an 8-year-old, but is somewhat a late developer in life and had lots of smart form during 2016 including a nice handicap success off 98 at Newmarket (1m 4f, Good-to-Firm) in May. Comes here on the back of a hurdling run at Sandown where his jumping was far from fluent and it’s unsurprising that David Evans brings him out on the level again. Ran a cracking race at a nice price on his penultimate outing at Wolverhampton (1m 1.5f; Std) over a trip that would have been too short and should appreciate this extra 2.5 furlongs. Likes to sit handily and should ensure that Pinzolo won’t be getting things his own way, so is interesting off a mark of 97 with the excellent Adam Kirby booked to ride.

4 ROCK STEADY – In excellent form lately, finishing first or second in each of his last 7 racecourse starts and is the sort of horse who the handicapper has found tough to get a hold of. Now rated 98 following a 2lb rise for finishing a nose behind Watersmeet when last seen seven weeks ago at Wolverhampton (1m 6f; Std) and was a tad unfortunate not to win there, getting nabbed right on the line. Yet to run at Lingfield’s All-Weather track but has polytrack experience at Kempton and trainer Roger Charlton has a good record here in the last five years (14-75; 19% Strike Rate). Further improvement is impossible to rule out back down 2 furlongs in trip and must be a contender from a nice draw in stall 2.

5 BLUE SURF – Showed nothing five weeks ago but that was over hurdles in a Grade 2 at Ascot and should appreciate coming back to the flat. Doesn’t lack for smart form in this code but hasn’t won on the level since June of 2015 when landing a valuable handicap at Epsom (1m 4f; Good-to-Firm) off an official rating of 98. Rated 6lbs below that these days and had some good efforts on the All-Weather at the beginning of 2016, including a 1.75 length third over C&D off 99, but it’s hard to know whether he is the horse he used to be. Could have a squeak but is left with too much to prove to be supported with any confidence.

6 RYDAN – Held by Pinzolo on their C&D run last month when finishing 4 lengths behind Ismail Mohammed’s charge but would not have appreciated the run of the race there as he does like to sit behind a proper gallop. Has a 6lb swing at the weights which could be a help to turn that form around and didn’t perform badly on his sole start since, again over C&D, when beaten just 2 lengths. Does find winning hard, however, with his record being 3 wins from 26 career outings and is probably as high in the weights as he wants to be these days. Kempton’s All-Weather track might just suit better than this one, also.

7 SENNOCKIAN STAR – Back to winning form for the first time in 18 months when landing an amateur riders’ handicap at Kempton (1m 4f, Std) ten days ago and only 2lbs higher in the weights. Still reasonably treated on the best of his old form having previously had a three-figure but does not seem to be the horse of old and will need to find even more to land this race, with his last time out success coming at just Class 4 level. Joe Fanning is riding well with a 7-34 (21% Strike Rate) in the past fortnight but whether he’ll be adding to that here is questionable.

8 ERHAAF – Lightly-raced 4-year-old who has only had 4 career starts, all bar one of those coming on the All-Weather. Disappointed as a well-backed 2/1 favourite at Wolverhampton (1m 6f, Std) when last seen seven weeks ago but the pace dominated there and he had been held up too far back. Previously looked to have a lot of ability when third at Chelmsford (1m 2f, Std) on his first foray into handicap company on the All-Weather and maybe this trip of 1m 4f might do the trick. Clearly thought to be better than his rating of 86 if the market is to be believed and is worthy of a place on the shortlist at worst with the promise of more to come. Charlie Fellows’ yard do well here with a 6-34 (18% Strike Rate) record being more than respectable.