
With the British weather playing havoc with the National Hunt programme – forcing the early abandonment of Haydock and Ascot – the tote has little option but to turn to the all-weather for the Scoop6 menu. That all-weather term can sometimes be a bit misleading, but, thankfully, Lingfield looks like withstanding the best efforts of the freezing temperatures to lay on a competitive card of flat handicapping action.
The BetMGM Winter Oaks provides the headline act, and here, we run through all six events included in the jackpot hunt in this week’s Scoop6 Racing Tips. We think these six can deliver the goods or certainly give you a great run for our money!
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Class 4, 6f
The booking of Ryan Moore for the Andrew Balding-trained Fire Demon (2/1) catches the eye in the opener. This son of Dark Angel was zero from three last season but won at the first time of asking this term when scoring by ½l over this trip at Kempton. An opening mark of 83 looks fair, but he was allowed to dictate that day, and may not be afforded that luxury here. There may well be more to come, but we prefer the claims of another.
Bulldog Drummond (9/2) is rock solid but more exposed than most and may struggle to concede 6lb to the John Ryan representative Roman Emperor (4/1). This one showed promise in hitting the frame in his first two starts before breaking his duck last time out at Southwell. He travelled up with the pace throughout that day, and whilst the response wasn’t immediate when asked by Callum Shepherd, once he hit top gear, there was only likely to be one winner. He’s been handed an opening mark of 80 by the assessor on the back of that and is fancied to wear down Fire Demon and the rest inside the final furlong.
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Class 4, 1m4f
There is no shortage of interesting contenders in race 2. Gearing’s Point (10/1) catches the eye from an each-way perspective on her return to the all-weather, whilst Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Orange N Blue is likely better than he showed when his rider dropped his reins last time out Southwell. Charlie Johnston’s Bohemia Breeze (11/2) is another to note, having hit the frame in five of seven starts on the all-weather. Rossa Ryan takes the ride, and he shouldn’t be far away.
Overall, we agree with the market in rating the Roger Varian-trained Amazing (3/1) as the most likely winner. The mount of Hollie Doyle will be making only her third all-weather start here and has run very well in both previous outings. Looking in need of a step up in distance when third over 1m½f, she backed up that assessment when scoring on her first crack at this trip back at Dunstall Park on Boxing Day. She’s up 4lb for that but looked to have more in the tank at the line and can prove too strong for these.
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Class 3, 1m
Not many of these like to make the running, which could lead to a tactical affair. The one who may benefit is the David Evans runner King’s Code (14/1), who has a bit to find on form but may be able to dictate under Hollie Doyle. He rates a solid each-way option, but with a whole host of closers possessing a potent turn of foot, the suspicion is that at least one will run him down in the straight.
Talis Evolvere (9/2) is one candidate under the excellent Ryan Moore, but for our money, both Al Rufaa (13/2) and Dragon Icon (6/1) may have his measure should this turn into a sprint. Al Rufaa will find things easier under 9st3lb, having been lumbered with 10st+ of late, but the unexposed Dragon Icon gets the vote on balance.
Things didn’t go to plan when sent in pursuit of a Group 2 prize in France last time out, but the son of Lope De Vega is a perfect two from two on the all-weather, including over this course and distance. That success here in May is worth upgrading, as he had to switch very wide around the home turn before finishing like an express train down the outside. If in similar heart here, he may have too many guns for his rivals.
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Class 2, 5f
Heading into the race seeking a five-timer, the Stuart Williams runner Diomed Spirit (9/2) arrives in a rich vein of form and duly heads the betting. He’s another in what looks like an excellent book of rides for Hollie Doyle but has now risen fully 19lbs since that winning sequence began. This may be the day the handicapper finally catches up with him as he moves into Class 2 company for the first time.
Bergerac (6/1) has scored in this grade off a 2lb lower mark on the turf but goes well on the all-weather and should be in the shake-up, having toughed it out well at Southwell in December. Another interesting option is Silky Wilkie, generally available at a price of 7/1, who has the all-weather form to take a hand if fit and firing following a 112-day break.
All that said, in an extremely competitive heat, the one to carry our cash will be the Michael Appleby representative Bedford Flyer. This one boasts form figures of 121 over this course and distance, with those wins coming off marks of 86 and 91 and the narrow defeat off a rating of 100 in this grade. He’s in off 93 here, and his times over the track and trip compare favourably with those achieved by his main rivals. He should be able to grab a decent early pitch from stall 1 and hold them off on the run for the line.
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Class 2, 1m2f
Eight go to post in what looks like a quality renewal of one of the feature contests of the year at the track. Last-time-out winner Miss Bluebelle (6/1) and the five-timer seeking Storymaker make the shortlist for Marcus Tregoning and George Boughey, with the latter, in particular, looking dangerous if handling this step up in trip. Of those at bigger prices, Eleanor Cross (14/1) is beautifully bred (by Pivotal out of a Galileo mare) and may well have more to offer on only her fourth career start.
Ryan Moore takes the ride aboard Twirling, which is an obvious plus for the Simon & Ed Crisford runner, but her stablemate Oh So Grand (5/2) looks the one to be on. Four starts over this trip on a synthetic surface have yielded three wins for this daughter of Postponed, and, whilst she is up 4lb for the most recent of those victories, that may underestimate her superiority. Shuffled back early, she sat dead last turning for home but turned on the afterburners to mow them all down and win by a widening 1¼l. A weight of 9st11lb is a slight concern, but she won well under 9st9lb two starts back and can land the hat-trick here to keep us in the Scoop6 hunt!
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Class 5, 2m
The stayers take to the track in the finale in what looks like a wide-open affair. Tom Symonds Havanazam (9/2) heads the betting, having caused a 25/1 shock at Wolverhampton earlier in the month. He did that nicely, but that came over 1m4f, and we can only guess at his ability to stay this far. Alan King’s Two Past Eight (9/2) has fewer stamina questions to answer, having gone down by a short head over this trip at Kempton in August. However, he’s 3lb higher here and doesn’t look obviously well handicapped.
African Star (11/2), Le Rouge Chinois (13/2), and Grain Of Hope (8/1) come next, but all looked to be crying enough over 1m6f in previous flat outings. As such, we will side with a horse whom we know does stay the distance – the top weight, Man Of Riddles (17/2). This Max Young runner has scored three times over this trip on the all-weather, off marks of 74, 71 and 63, making his current mark of 66 look well within reach. The presence of Grace McEntee in the saddle brings his burden down to 9st7lb, and he looks the most solid option to go close in the finale.