15:20 Lingfield

Wednesday 16 December 2020

All11:3012:0012:3013:0013:3514:1014:4515:20

Betway Apprentice Handicap

Off time: 15:20 | Winning time: 2m 30.61s

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Selected odds by:

(7)

Bashful Boy¹⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 9-8| J: Charlie Price| T: J & S Best| OR: 72| D

9/2

Lightly-raced winner on Flat. Fair winner at 18f over hurdles. Fourth of 6 in novice hurdle at Doncaster (16.6f, good to soft, 5/1) 18 days ago. Makes handicap debut. Not taken lightly.

Form: 43521-

(1)

My Girl Maggie¹⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-7| J: Oliver Stammers⁽³⁾| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 75

3/1

Lightly-raced maiden. Bit below form third of 8 in minor event (4/1) at Kempton (11f) 16 days ago. Return to handicaps rates a likely plus.

Form: 33223

(2)

Melburnian³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: Jay Mackay⁽⁷⁾| T: Jane Chapple-Hyam| OR: 70

10/1

Winner at Chelmsford City (10f) in August. 66/1, eighteenth of 19 in handicap at Doncaster (7f, soft) 39 days ago. That not the first time he's ran badly on turf and return to AW rates a plus.

Form: 001880

(8)

To Fly Free^p,t³⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: William Carver| T: D Pipe| OR: 73

40/1

Modest winner at 2m over hurdles. Fourth of 12 in handicap hurdle (5/2) at Hereford (16.2f, good to soft) 36 days ago. Raced at up to 1m on Flat in France and betting may prove a good guide here.

Form: 153-667

(6)

Art Of America¹⁰³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: William Humphrey⁽⁷⁾| T: P Butler| OR: 69

80/1

Dual winner over extended 10f at Dundalk last winter. Ended time with Noel Meade below form and probably best watched on debut for new stable now.

Form: 511-700

(5)

Rafiot²²

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: Rhys Clutterbuck⁽³⁾| T: G & J Moore| OR: 69

2/1

Winner at Goodwood in August. 33/1, creditable third of 11 in handicap at this C&D (AW) 22 days ago, finishing well. One to be interested in on that evidence.

Form: 004103

(3)

Sufi^t²³

Age: 6| Weight: 9-4| J: George Rooke| T: M F Harris| OR: 68

17/2

One win from 31 Flat runs. 33/1, creditable seventh of 16 in novice hurdle at Ludlow (15.8f, good to soft) 23 days ago. Each-way claims returned to the level.

Form: 5-73347

(4)

Estrela Star¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Tyler Heard⁽³⁾| T: A Stronge| OR: 66| C

6/1

Course winner. 3 wins from 10 runs this year. Ninth of 13 in handicap at Kempton (12f, 14/1) 14 days ago, left poorly placed. Still, he needs to step up on recent efforts to figure.

Form: 086899

Forecasts

Rafiot (2/1), My Girl Maggie (3/1), Bashful Boy (9/2), Estrela Star (6/1), Sufi (17/2), Melburnian (10/1), To Fly Free (40/1), Art Of America (80/1)

A winner at Goodwood in August, RAFIOT caught the eye when third in a C&D event 3 weeks ago, noted finishing well having been set plenty to do. He's worth siding with to confirm the promise of that run, with My Girl Maggie and Bashful Boy heading up the dangers.