STAR PREVIEW: Lingfield AW Finals Day

Not many things will be easy to work out on the All-Weather Finals Championship card, but it’s pretty clear that the most exciting horse runs in the Classic (4.15). It’s probably not overstating things to suggest that Wissahickon is the most likely winner of the day – indeed he’s odds on – and with good reason, following his stroll in the Winter Derby (a trial race for this). The four-year-old looked like he was finishing an exercise race when beating Court House and should handle the field with ease before heading to bigger and better things.

The battle for second is an interesting betting race, with Matterhorn having disappointed at Kempton last time, whilst there’s a lot to like about the admirable Court House, who has helped force the pace for Wissahickon the last twice. He was a clear second in the Winter Derby but folded after being pressed early the time before into third and perhaps this is a watching brief.

The second big star of the day is Kachy, the pocket rocket who will dazzle in the Sprint (3.05). He’s a pleasure to watch in full flow, as shown at Wolves and in his trial here. He ought to take the beating but he’s also a best of 4/5 and that can be swerved if seeking value.

The French have brought over a number of decent horses for Finals Day and come away with some notable successes, and it’s possible that they might be able to spring a surprise in the Fillies and Mares’ (2.30). Fabrice Chappet has brought an interesting contender in the shape of Silvery Mist, who had a tune up at Chantilly on her first run of the season, and she might be overpriced. She ended last season finishing second in the Prix Miss Satamixa when giving up a significantly better track advantage to the winner Lunch Lady who has since finished a neck second in a Group 3.

A draw of 8 is not perfect but not awful in a race with 12 runners and she’ll get a good pace to run at today at a course which usually suits closers.

The French have an even stronger chance according to the betting market in the Stayers’ (2.00) as Gianluca Botti’s Amade was an impressive winner of the Stayers’ Trial. He should take the beating here but he also makes the market for the others and perhaps Spark Plug can make the first three. He’d have won the Kempton qualifier for this if there’d been a stronger pace and he’d previously gotten the better of Verdana Blue in a conditions race the time before. It was only in July that he was second in a Group 3 over 10 furlongs and he probably has more speed than most of this field.

Nothing appealed as well in for the Apprentice Handicap (1.30) and the market leaders are all drawn rather wide in the 3-year-old Conditions Stakes (3.40).

That leaves the All-Weather Mile Championships (4.45) where Oh This Is Us is the choice. He flopped at Wolves in the Lady Wulfruna Stakes but before that he’d been a very impressive winner of a handicap over course and distance off 110 and it’s not that long ago he was finishing a close third and second in a pair of Group 2’s.

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RECOMMENDED BETS (scale of 1-100 points)
2:00 The Betway All-Weather Marathon Championships Conditions Stakes 1m 7f 169y
BACK Spark Plug 1 pt each/way at 7/1 with starsports.bet

2:30 The Ladbrokes All-Weather Fillies’ And Mares’ Championships Conditions Stakes
BACK Silvery Mist 1 pt each/way at 9/1 with starsports.bet

4:45 The Sun Racing All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions Stakes
BACK Oh This Is Us 2 pts at 4/1 with starsports.bet

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