Three excellent flat cards for Good Friday and whilst most eyes will be on Lingfield‘s All-Weather Championships we begin our preview at Bath where there is a valuable eight-race card including a £60,000 12f handicap for the classic generation.
Middleham handler Mark Johnston saddles three of the eight-runner field including Sofia’s Rock (3.30) who won a Redcar soft ground maiden by seven lengths when last seen in October but is bred to be as least as effective on today’s forecast fast ground.
Connections appear to have found a gilt-edged opportunity for Muthmir (4.40) to get back to winning ways after a barren but consistent 2016 when he was campaigned exclusively over the minimum trip. This extra half-furlong is not considered a negative and he will be hard to beat if fully tuned up for his reappearance.
Over to Lingfield and in the Stayers’ event many of the principles are drawn high and an each way chance is taken on the nine-year-old First Mohican (2.10) who is a rare winner on the flat (2 from 32) but did win impressively over C&D last time. The selection has a good draw in stall three and at 16/1 with BetVictor he is taken to reward each way support.
Kevin Stott keeps the ride on Ashadian (2.40) having guided the filly to a cosy success at Chelmsford back in February. Trained by Kevin Ryan the filly (2/1 at BetVictor) is now unbeaten in two starts on an all-weather surface and the hope is that she can out point the 6/4 favourite Muffri’Ha. The latter has been in cracking form out in Meydan in recent months for William Haggas and has a terrific draw in stall one for a mare who likes to race prominently.
In the Mile I can’t see past BetVictor’s 13/8 market leader Ennadd (3.40) for Roger Varian. The selection has won his last three all on an all-weather surface and has been laid out for the race since running away with a Kempton listed contest back in November. The colt was considered a Guineas horse when scoring at Kempton this time last year but missed the whole of the turf season. We know he can go well fresh, the Varian yard are in form and he is well-drawn in stall two.
I wonder if market leader Second Thought needs an extra furlong in the 3-year-old 6f Conditions event and the vote goes to Sutter County (4.10) who might be able to set his own fractions before kicking off the home bend. The selection is closely matched with both Tomily and Second Thought although a bigger danger might come from the progressive filly Dubai One with Ryan Moore taking over in the saddle. Sutter County is 7/2 at BetVictor and gets a narrow vote in a cracking heat.
The £200,000 10f Conditions event sees Convey and Battalion (4.40) lock horns again and if the latter breaks on terms, he must take the beating. That is a big if, of course, but at 5/1 is factored into the price, as he would be vying for favouritism if he could be guaranteed to get away with the rest of the field. The selection is 5/1 at BetVictor and Adam Kirby takes over in the saddle with regular pilot George Baker still convalescing following his fall at St Moritz back in February.
There is a fabulous £100,000 Conditions event at Newcastle and the reappearance of the unbeaten Acomb Stakes winner Syphax (3.55). The selection is 33/1 at BetVictor for the 2000 Guineas and 11/4 for today’s mile contest behind Andrew Balding’s South Seas who heads the market at 2/1.
For all your racing odds check out BetVictor.com.
