As Lingfield builds up to its ground-breaking Winter Million Festival, all exclusively live on Sky Sports Racing on January 20-22, there is still time for an exciting seven-race card on Saturday, featuring a trio of Charlie Appleby runners.
1.45 Lingfield – Middleham Park trio clash in feature handicap
The Middleham Park Racing syndicates are represented with three strong challengers for the feature at Lingfield, the Class Two Huge Daily Boosts Only At Betuk Handicap (1.45).
Silky Wilkie has a strike rate of 20 per cent for trainer Karl Burke but that figure could so easily be higher, having finished in the runners-up spot on a staggering nine occasions, including over this six-furlong trip when going down a nose to the reopposing Tyger Bay on New Year’s Eve.
Conrad Allen’s six-year-old followed up that victory with a good effort behind Kiwano at Kempton seven days ago and looks likely to go close again.
Completing the Middleham trio is the Richard Hannon-trained Ventura Tormenta, a former Group Two winner as a two-year-old, he has failed to fire on two starts since returning from over two years off the track.
Michael Appleby’s Annaf ran a huge race when last seen finishing fifth in Listed company at Ascot and drops in grade now, with Rossa Ryan booked.
12.05 Lingfield – Spencer teams up with Appleby in search of double
Champion trainer Charlie Appleby is slowly kicking his star-studded team into gear, turning out two winners from his first six runners on home soil so far this year.
He sends three to Lingfield, with Jamie Spencer booked for two of those. The pair begin in the opener, the It’s Time To Turn To Talksport Handicap (12.05) with top-weight Tabaretta.
A winner of one of his five starts as a juvenile, the son of Dubawi starts his three-year-old campaign off a mark of 85 over this 10-furlong trip.
The William-Haggas-trained Mohatu was an impressive winner over a mile here and makes his handicap debut off 77.
Mighty River was a beaten favourite at Kempton last month after scoring at Wolverhampton on his third start and represents James Tate and Rossa Ryan. Charlie Johnston’s Khal completes the four-runner field.
Jamie Spencer rides two for Appleby including Tabaretta in the opener
1.10 Lingfield – Appleby pair dominate novice event
As is often the case, Appleby lines up one of his exciting newcomers alongside a more experienced stablemate in the talkSPORT Powered By Fans Fillies’ Novice Stakes (1.10).
Dubawi filly Star Guest – the mount of Spencer – has run twice in her career, finishing runner-up over seven furlongs here before running third over a mile at Kempton.
Lope De Vega filly Spring Promise is a half-sister to Group One star Naval Crown and makes her debut under Cieren Fallon.
Of the rest, it is another debutant who catches the eye as Ralph Beckett sends Kingman filly Queens Resolve to the track for the first time under Rob Hornby.
Saturday racecards | Latest Sky Bet odds
Watch every race from Lingfield live on Sky Sports Racing on Saturday, January 14.
