Tag: Lightning Thunder

Lingfield Saturday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Derby and Oaks trials are coming thick and fast at present and Lingfield is the venue for tomorrow’s classic pointers.

The Derby Trial at 2.55 has attracted just five runners with John Gosden’s Christophermarlowe odds-on favourite. The son of Tapit won the Blue Riband Trial at Epsom by four lengths from Future Empire but that horse was left trailing at Chester this week. He was more workmanlike than scintillating that day and Frankie Dettori is likely to make a long run for home on this long striding colt.

Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore won the Chester Vase with Hans Holbein and are represented here by Kilimanjaro, a colt by High Chaparral out of a Dalakhani mare. He looked very ordinary on his first two starts at Gowran but was an easy winner at Dundalk in April. He was fitted with a hood for the first time there and the grey is currently 50-1 for Epsom. Christophermarlowe is well ahead on official ratings and can provide Dettori with another big race winner.

Whatever the fate of Kilimanjaro, O’Brien and Moore will probably collect in the Oaks Trial at 2.20 with Wedding Vow. She has been beaten by smart fillies in her last two races. She failed by half a length to hold Zannda at Leopardstown and was then second to subsequent 1000 Guineas winner Legatissimo at Gowran Park. She is a beautifully-bred daughter of Galileo and nothing in this field has comparable form.

There are some more classy fillies on show in the Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes at 4.05, a Group 3 race over seven furlongs. Lightning Thunder was runner-up in both the English and Irish Guineas last season for Olly Stevens but was a beaten favourite at Royal Ascot and Haydock. It is hard to explain her poor performances there but a lengthy break may have sweetened her up.

Kiyoshi is very smart on her day and Oisin Murphy rides her for Charles Hills while Al Thakhira is another with top class form in the book. The race will also provide some clues as to where the three-year-olds stand against their elders. New Providence ran a cracking race when just touched off in the Nell Gwyn at Newmarket and has Ryan Moore in the saddle on Saturday.

Wedding Vow 2.20 @5-6 Paddy Power

Christophermarlowe 2.55 @4-7 Bet365

Lightning Thunder 4.05 @7-2 Betfair

Racing Preview Saturday 12th October

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Graphic (tipped at 5-1) more than made up for a disappointing run from Dungannon at York on Friday. There are more big fields at Newmarket and York and Newmarket on Saturday to tempt punters but there are a couple of two-year-olds that catch my eye.

The first is Richard Fahey’s Rufford who goes in the Rockingham Stakes at York. A winner here back in June, the son of Invincible Spirit disappointed at Pontefract on his next outing behind Cool Bahamian. He first caught my eye when running on strongly after a slow start in the valuable sales race here in August.

He was a well-backed 6-1 shot that day and flew home in fifth place behind Haikbidiac. Plenty of winners have come out of that race since, notably Nezar, Green Door, Ventura Mist and Morning Post. He was allowed to start at 20-1 for the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury but raced right up with the pace and plugged on when challenged on all sides. In the end, he only gave best by three-quarters of a length to stable companion Supplicant.

He holds Figure Of Speech on that form and is clearly the one to beat. The lightly-raced Outer Space could be the main danger but 4-1 looks a good price with BetVictor.

My second selection is Lightning Thunder in the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket. This filly has always been held in high regard by Olly Stevens and has around 12lbs in hand on her rivals tomorrow. She followed up her debut win by scrambling home at Doncaster but she showed how good she is in the Oh So Sharp Stakes.

She looked to have the race won when she was sent to the front over a furlong out by Harry Bentley but Miss France arrived late on the scene to beat her by a head. Lightning Thunder was left a bit high and dry in front on Newmarket’s wide open spaces and may have idled slightly but it was still a good effort. The winner is the new favourite for the 1000 Guineas and it will be disappointing if Lightning Thunder cannot win tomorrow.

Rufford 4-1 BetVictor

Lightning Thunder 5-6  Stan James, Totesport

Doncaster Day 1 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The opening day of the St Leger meeting at Doncaster lacks the quality of the remainder of the week and has been deemed not worthy of the attendance of Channel 4 cameras. It seems a strange bit of scheduling to start a classic meeting with a card that does not have a single Group race on the menu but I’m sure that the race planners have their reasons.

Once again, the weather is threatening to intervene with heavy downpours predicted for around midday. The going is reported to be good at the moment so I’d imagine it wouldn’t be worse than good to soft by the time they go to post for the 2.30.

The one I am interested in here is the Olly Stevens-trained filly Lightning Thunder. I’m a big fan of maiden races from Newbury and Newmarket and the daughter of Dutch Art beat a useful Hannon horse that had the benefit of a previous outing in Tea In Transvaal. That may not sound like top class form but it was the manner of her victory that impressed me.

She was held up in midfield before moving up smoothly on the near side and then quickening up to challenge the favourite. She ducked away slightly from the whip but she can be forgiven that on her racecourse debut and the trainer believes she could be a Group 1 filly. If all goes well at Doncaster, she may finish her season in either the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket or at Longchamp on Arc day in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

The trainer’s words suggest that nothing short of victory is expected tomorrow. He said: “From the first time we saw her at the sales she looked the part. It is too soon to aim her at Pattern company so she will run in a conditions race at Doncaster next week before looking to bigger pots. I would expect her to show definite improvement at Doncaster.”

Justice Day has the best form in the book having been beaten only 3 lengths in the Gimcrack last time whilst Expert represents the Hannon-Hughes combination. The grey by Mastercraftsman has had his limitations exposed in better company and may have to play second fiddle to Lightning Thunder.

With concerns about the state of the ground it is difficult to get too excited about the rest of the card. It will be interesting to see how Gatewood fares now that he is back in the care of John Gosden. His Australian campaign faltered after a rushed preparation to try to make the Melbourne Cup line up and he has been sent back to Newmarket in the hope of rekindling his enthusiasm. He may be a difficult horse to place now that he has exhausted handicap options so a watching brief is advised.

Lightning Thunder 5-2 (Ladbrokes)