Flat racing fans are clinging on to the dying embers of the turf season but the action continues throughout the winter on the all-weather tracks. Lingfield stages an eight-race card on Tuesday with the action starting at 2.00.
In the opening race I like the chances of Compton Mill after his promising debut at Newbury. Not a great deal was expected of Hughie Morrison’s colt that day and he started at 33-1 under John Fahy. After settling at the rear, he moved through in the closing stages to finish fourth behind Yeenaan.
The form received a boost when the runner-up Stoked cruised home at Nottingham last week and Yeenaan won again on Monday. As Compton Mill was only a couple of lengths behind those two, he should be good enough to win his maiden before moving on to better things. His dam was the tough mare Classic Millennium who won numerous mile and a half handicaps so he should make up into a decent middle-distance horse.
Newbury form is again on show in the second where Perceus is fitted with a hood after finishing third in a Conditions race. He did finish seven lengths behind Snoano and he could have a race on his hands with Taysh who also shaped encouragingly at Newcastle. I wouldn’t want to take too short a price about the Tregoning runner.
Reaffirmed is trying to complete a hat-trick for Ed Vaughan in the sprint at 3.30 and I think he may be up to the task. He has taken a long time to discover what racing is all about but Luke Morris has made a great job of settling him in his most recent outings. He weaved through a narrow gap up the fence to win at Wolverhampton and then followed up under a penalty at Kempton.
He looked to have a lot to do that night when turning in but closed down the leaders in a matter of strides and needed to be driven out to win by a short-head. Some reports suggest that he held his head high in the closing stages but I think that is harsh and I think he can get the better of Findhorn Magic.
Finally, I like the chances of David Lanigan’s filly Sequester in the 5.00 race. She got off the mark here in August and should have followed up at Wolverhampton. David Allan rode her that day and found himself trapped on the rail turning in. He managed to extricate her to the outside but the post came in time for 50-1 shot Polar Forest. The winner has since won at Nottingham and Redcar so Sequester is worth another chance.
Compton Mill 2.00 @6-5 Betfair
Reaffirmed 3.30 @85-40 Bet Victor
Sequester 5.00 @9-2 Bet Victor
