13:40 Lingfield
Friday 14 April 2017
All13:4014:1014:4015:1015:4016:1016:40
Sunbets All-Weather Championships Apprentice Handicap
- 4YO plus | Class 2 | 7f 1y | Standard | 14 Runners | Polytrack | Weighed In
- Off time: 13:41 | Winning time: 1m 23.06s
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Course winner over the minimum trip and appetite for 7f has to be up for debate after finishing last of nine on his only previous attempt at this distance since debut. Wide draw will make life more difficult and he faces a tough task under top-weight.
Best form has come over 6f but has won over this trip at Haydock in 2015. All four wins have come on a straight track and he's performed better on the Tapeta surface than the Polytrack in eight AW starts. Others look better handicapped and probably best watched.
Looked a little unlucky in running two starts back when fifth at Newcastle but gained compensation last time out when doing particularly well to close off a slow pace. The ability to do that could be an asset around here and it looked like a hot race, so the fact he's only gone up 4lb in the handicap gives him a good chance with an experienced apprentice booked.
C&D winner who has an excellent strike-rate on the AW and was clearly thriving at the end of last year. Slowly away from the stalls and never recovered on recent comeback run but likely to strip fitter for that. The concern would be that his very best form has been over 6f.
Useful on his day but strike rate of one win from his last 19 starts isn't encouraging and he has a tough draw to overcome. Did finish fifth in the Lincoln trial at Wolverhampton last time and that was an encouraging run and his jockey is well worth the 5lb he can claim in this race but he will have to be at his best to overcome this wide draw.
Has made excellent progress for this yard through the winter, rattling off a hat-trick at the turn of the year. Has performed with credit in defeat since and his effort back on turf last time can be excused as he raced alone on the wrong part of the track. Will make another bold bid from that front and there isn't a whole lot of pace in this affair so he should go well but there may be a few better handicapped.
Got his first win on the AW when last seen at Chelmsford and did well to finish from off the pace, particularly considering he had to switch when delivering his challenge. Despite struggling off this kind of mark in the past, he looked like he had more to give that day but it's up for debate whether this sharper track will suit him and he has a wide draw to overcome.
An eight-time winner on the AW, he was back to form when scoring over 7f at Dundalk in January, however, dropped to 6f a month later, he finished last of nine. Suited by the step back up in trip but never won off a mark this high and that would have to be the concern in a race as competitive as this at his age.
Bounced back to form this year having previously not won since 2014. Still looks on a fair mark but despite him holding two course wins to his name, he looks better suited to a more galloping track.
Arrives here in search of a hat-trick having narrowly prevailed at Kempton at the start of the month. Up another 3lb for that effort and this looks like a stronger race so won't be easy to back that effort up and may be vulnerable to something better handicapped.
Two-time course winner who has done all his winning over this trip and has C&D form that reads 225211. Wouldn't have got in this race without the win here last time but 2lb wrong at the weights and won't be able to dominate this bunch from the front so opposable from a double figure draw.
12-time AW winner who was bitterly disappointing at Chelmsford when last of six last month. Has won three times over C&D but best recent efforts have come over further and he's never won off a mark this high.
Won C&D claimer here in November and followed that up with an excellent win at Newcastle in December but handicapper appears to have caught up with him now and he never won off a mark this high in his pomp, so he's passed over despite his apprentice being worth his 3lb claim.
Has a record on the AW that reads 2112 and his latest runner-up effort behind Take The Helm came over C&D last time. Due to go up 3lb for that effort so he's well in officially and gets a 6lb swing with that rival. Has to be of interest despite that not looking like the strongest piece of form in the race as he's far less exposed than most in this field and gets the services of an apprentice in flying form.
Forecasts
War Glory (10/3), Hakam (5/1), Holiday Magic (11/2), Amazour (6/1), Take The Helm (8/1), Charles Molson (12/1), Suzi's Connoisseur (12/1), Intransigent (16/1), Dougan (16/1), Baraweez (18/1), Al Khan (25/1), Forceful Appeal (33/1), Kadrizzi (33/1), Grey Danube (40/1)
Fascinating apprentice race to start All-Weather Finals Day and it's SUZI'S CONNOISSEUR who looks capable of getting the show on the road. The form of his last two starts looks rock-solid and he's won off a higher mark than this in the past so with him getting the services of one of the more experienced apprentices in the race, he has to be of interest. War Glory has less miles on the clock than most in here and he's 3lb well in on official figures so the four-year-old should give Hollie Doyle a good spin. Hakam arrives here in search of a hat-trick and holds each-way claims in a deeper race.
- Suzi's Connoisseur
- War Glory
- Hakam
Prize Money
1st: £31,125.002nd: £9,320.003rd: £4,660.004th: £2,330.005th: £1,165.006th: £585.00
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