Chad Yeomans, PR Manager at Betway takes us through all 8 races on Saturday's card including the Listed Betway Golden Rose Stakes and the Listed Betway Churchill Stakes.
11:40 - PLAY CORAL RACING-SUPER-SERIES FOR FREE EBF MAIDEN STAKES (DIV I)
The opening contest is Division 1 of a Maiden Stakes for two-year-olds, for which the main form line came from Nottingham on 27 October.
Percy Jones and Untold Mystery were ridden completely differently that day but both produced performances to suggest that winning a maiden will be a formality.
A change in tactics for both should bring improvement – the former was ridden to lead last time but will be deployed with more restraint, whereas the latter is likely to be ridden more prominently.
12:10 - PLAY CORAL RACING-SUPER-SERIES FOR FREE EBF MAIDEN STAKES (DIV II)
Division 2 has a few more unknown quantities, although the market will inform us on the expected performances of the two Godolphin debutants.
On the form we have seen, Park Street has shown a fair level in three starts and has since had a gelding operation which may bring out further improvement. On his best form, he’s the horse to beat.
At a likely bigger price, Ae Fond Kiss ran better than the form suggests on debut and could improve on this surface, which will be quicker than the soft ground she encountered that day.
12:45 - MANSIONBET PROUD PARTNERS OF THE AWC HANDICAP
This 0-65 Handicap is not the most exciting contest on this card, though some profiles do catch the eye.
Delicate Kiss was an obvious non-stayer over 1m2f last time and will appreciate this drop back in trip. He’s a four-time course-and-distance winner who is now looking very well handicapped off a mark of 63.
Another well-handicapped horse is Villeurbanne who runs for the very shrewd Lee Carter. This is the gelding’s fourth start for his new yard having left James Tate, for whom he showed a fair level of form. A reproduction of his fourth at Kempton in June will see him go very close if he’s fully tuned up.
13:20 - MANSIONBET BEATEN BY A HEAD HANDICAP
A return to form would see Indeed go close off his current – and falling – mark of 97. He’s not had much racing of late but was once rated 107 and is comfortably the best horse in this race. He has won at Chelmsford before. which would suggest a synthetic surface wouldn’t cause any issues.
Corazon Espinado is a course-and-distance winner who was a good second at Epsom on his latest start. He’s had a break since that run and is a force to be reckoned with in this grade.
13:55 - BETWAY MEDIAN AUCTION MAIDEN STAKES
The Betway Median Auction Maiden Stakes should be a formality for Desert Lime who is having her second start for George Boughey having been with Dermot Weld for her only other appearance.
She went off odds-on for her stable debut last week, which says that more was expected of her. William Buick has been booked and should take all of the beating.
It’s Wonderful has shown enough ability to suggest she could chase her home.
14:30 - HEED YOUR HUNCH AT BETWAY HANDICAP
A return to Lingfield in the Heed Your Hunch At Betway Handicap can spark Bird For Life off his current mark of 55.
Mark Usher does fantastically well with his small string and his seven-year-old mare had an honest reason for her poor showing last time as the blindfold was late to be taken off. Charlie Bennett, who has ridden her to success in the past is back on board, which is another huge positive.
Hannalite may have needed this step up in trip for a while and she too can also go close under Rab Havlin.
15:05 - BETWAY GOLDEN ROSE STAKES (LISTED RACE) (ALL WEATHER CHAMPIONSHIPS FAST-TRACK QUALIFIER)
The Betway Golden Rose Stakes looks fiercely competitive and, despite being a Listed race on paper, could easily be mistaken for a higher grade.
Bahrain Pride was highly tried at two and, although we haven’t seen much of him this season, he was a good second on both starts this campaign at Kempton and Newmarket. His mark is unchanged for those runs and he could give jockey William Buick another winner.
Betway ambassador Andrew Balding trains Fivethousandtoone who also looks dangerously handicapped if he can show the same level he did as a two-year-old.
It hasn’t gone right for him this season, but he could be one to play a huge part in the Sprint division during the All-Weather Championships if he gets his act together. He is poorly drawn in stall 12, though.
Another horse with plenty of ability is Jouska. She is not well drawn, and the surface may not suit, but she has a big engine.
15:40 - BETWAY CHURCHILL STAKES (LISTED RACE) (ALL WEATHER CHAMPIONSHIPS FAST-TRACK QUALIFIER)
We’re saving the best until last with the feature race of the day, the Betway Churchill Stakes. Eleven runners have been declared – the most since 2015 – including the Group 1 winner Pyledriver.
He’s the one they will all have to beat on his best form. He’s been competing at the top level for the majority of his career and is miles clear of his rivals on official ratings. If he’s fully tuned up, his opponents shouldn’t get near to him.
Fox Tal isn’t a straightforward horse but can chase the likely winner home. He has been ultra-consistent this season, having only been out of the frame twice in nine, and he can be relied upon to get a slice of the prize money.
