Tag: Ralph Beckett

Lingfield Friday Preview

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The winter weather has returned to the UK this week and Friday’s Chepstow card faces a 7.30am inspection to see if racing can go ahead. There are no problems at the all-weather track at Lingfield So I’ve picked out a couple of horses that could provide us with some stake money for the weekend.

My first selection is Singular Quest in the maiden race at 2.00. The colt is a son of Dalakhani out of a mare by Singspiel so is entitled to be useful. He is trained by Ralph Beckett who certainly knows the time of day at these all-weather meetings and will be ridden by Hayley Turner.

Singular Quest ran green on his debut here over a mile but was noted running on into fifth place behind Awesome Power. He was stepped up to ten furlongs last time and was tucked in on the rail for much of the race. His jockey found himself shuffled back when the leaders quickened approaching the home turn and had to switch to the outside, eventually finishing strongly to take second.

The race was won by Monein who has since gone in again in the blue of Godolphin. The biggest danger may come from Sheikh Mohammed’s outfit again here with Prussian Blue and Sparring in opposition. The latter shaped well at Wolverhampton on his debut while Mark Johnston’s Champagne Ransom could also improve for her debut at the same track.

Following handicap “good things” is often regarded as the quick way to the poor house but it is difficult to argue with the claims of Le Rouquin in the 3.45 race. The gelding was very impressive when beating Courier by six lengths at Kempton last week and turns out again quickly under a 6lbs penalty. Michael Bell will obviously be anticipating a much stiffer penalty once the horse has been reassessed. He had been tried in a visor previously but the headgear was left off last time and he could be named the winner with a quarter of a mile to race.

The big danger is course winner Vejovis, a son of Fastnet Rock trained by Sir Mark Prescott. The cigar-smoking Newmarket handler is a dab hand at running up a sequence with his handicappers and it would be no surprise to see this one improve again. He was less impressive when winning over seven furlongs by two and three-quarter lengths but you never know how much jockey Luke Morris has up his sleeve.

Singular Quest 2.00 Lingfield @6-4 Betfair

Le Rouquin 3.45 Lingfield @2-1 Bet365

Leah-Anne Avery to star at Kempton

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The miserable weather in the UK has resulted in a very poor turnout at Newbury on Thursday so I am switching my attention to the all-weather at Kempton Park.

The action gets under way at 3.55 with eight races to keep the flat racing fans happy. All eyes will be on apprentice jockey Leah-Anne Avery at 4.55 as she bids to complete a hat-trick aboard Cadmium. She is apprenticed to Harry Dunlop and has impressed many with her neat riding style on the three-year-old.

Cadmium has improved dramatically since the Autumn and looked as though she won with a bit in hand last time when accounting for Silvee by a length and three-quarters. Her rider always had her handily placed just off the lead and nipped up the inside before repelling all challengers. The handicapper has put her up 4lbs but Avery is able to claim her 7lbs allowance here and has a great chance of completing the hat-trick.

John Gosden seems to have plenty of ammunition for the winter months and Colour Party should follow up her recent Wolverhampton victory in the featured nursery at 6.25. She had previously finished second in a big field at Newmarket and has more scope than any of her rivals. The danger is probably Richard Fahey’s Zaza Zest who romped home by eight lengths on her first attempt at seven furlongs last time.

Spring Fling could be ahead of the handicapper in the last if she can overcome a wide draw. If she were able to reproduce her Salisbury form from May against Lightning Moon she would win this by a street. She got to within a quarter of a length of Ed Walker’s colt who went on to win a Group 3 at Ascot in October. He is officially rated 98 while Spring Fling gets in here off a mark of 80.

Ralph Beckett knows how to train a filly and has two Epsom Oaks winners to his credit. He sends out a couple of interesting runners on Thursday in Engaging Smile (5.25) and Redstart (5.55). Engaging Smile ran on well into fourth on her debut and would have finished second with a clearer run up the straight. She has most to fear from Gosden’s Rastanora while Redstart was narrowly beaten at Leicester on her debut.

Michael Bell’s Niblawi should go well in the 4.25 after shaping nicely on his debut here last week. He was narrowly beaten by Miss Underwood but this looks an ideal opportunity to get off the mark.

Niblawi 4.25 @23-20 Betfair

Cadmium 4.55 @11-4 Betfair

Engaging Smile 5.25 @6-5 Betdaq

Redstart 5.55 @9-5 Betfair

Colour Party 6.25 @2-1 Bet365

Spring Fling 6.55 @3-1 Coral

 

Epsom Preview Friday 31st May

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The Oaks is the feature race of Epsom’s opening day with Secret Gesture set to go off favourite. Ralph Beckett’s filly has replaced Moth at the head of the market and the midweek rain can only have improved her chances. The rain could also help my each-way selection The Lark so I’m looking forward to the race with optimism.

The meeting opens with a tricky looking contest for the Princess Elizabeth Stakes. I’ve been following Sentaril throughout her career and she started her campaign with a promising run at Goodwood. She was held up by Graham Lee but he found himself trapped on the rails when the pace quickened and he had to wait to deliver his challenge. Sentaril ran on well enough but the winner had first run and held off her late challenge. You can make a case for most of the runners here but I’ll keep faith with Sentaril at 6-1.

I picked out Niceofyoutotellme when the 2.10 was priced up earlier in the week but he is now a non-runner. The money during the week seems to have been for Blue Surf, trained by Amanda Perrett. The four-year-old has not been seen since disappointing in the November Handicap so I can only guess that they have him ready first time out.

The Diomed Stakes is another trappy little race where it is difficult to be too confident. I’m going to side with Gregorian who produced some top class form last season and looked as they he would be sharpened up by his outing at Haydock recently. I respect the claims of Producer who has won all four previous starts at Epsom and that’s a stat that it is difficult to ignore.

I will probably regret overlooking Gabrial. He did this column a good turn when winning the Doncaster Mile but then failed to go through with his effort at Chester. He looked a difficult ride that day and ran like a sidewinder up the straight. If Spencer can preserve his finishing kick he could probably run diagonally across the course and still win but I’m not prepared to take the chance.

Andrew Balding withdrew Here Comes When from the Silver Bowl on account of the firm ground and he has been re-routed to the Listed race at 4.45. His main rival looks to be Hasopop who was behind him at Newbury earlier in the season. He has since won a decent six furlong handicap at Newmarket and is the best part of a stone better off than at Newbury for two lengths.

Strictly speaking, Hasopop should be the selection but Here Comes When won at Chester with a bit in hand. The bookmakers have priced them up at 9-4 and 7-2 and I’m very confident that the race concerns these two. Earlier this week I fancied Heeraat at Beverley and rated Hamza the only danger. I don’t want to make the same mistake again here so I recommend splitting stakes on the pair.

Ante-Post Oaks
Secret Gesture 4-1
The Lark (each-way) 33-1

1.35 Sentaril 6-1 William Hill
2.45 Gregorian 7-2 Paddy Power, Producer 4-1 William Hill
4.45 Hasopop 9-4 William Hill, Here Comes When 7-2 Bet Victor