Ante-post / Adam Brookes / 21 March 2012 /

With temperatures predicted to hit 20°C it isn't going to feel much like the cold season at Lingfield on Saturday, where the Winter Derby head's a quality card. Timeform's Adam Brookes takes a look at the ten-furlong Group 3 feature and warms to the claims of one horse in particular...

Premio Loco is one of the most admirable Flat horses in training and it will be no surprise to see him put up a bold show on his seasonal return for all that he's now at the age where he receives a Winter Fuel allowance. His best form shows him more than good enough and he was only beaten a nose in the 2009 renewal on his only outing over the trip, but there's the sneaking suspicion that he may again find one or two too good and he makes little appeal ante-post at around [5.1].

Similar trip queries hang over mare Sooraah, who is returning from a short spell in Dubai. Willie Haggas' five-year-old, a mile handicap scorer at Meydan last month, is a free-going sort and consequently isn't sure to appreciate the step up in trip. Granted Lingfield's polytrack course hardly provides the stiffest test and she's likely to have the assistance of Ryan Moore, but she's another who is of minimal interest.

One of the least exposed in the field is Cai Shen, an all-weather debutant who shouldn't have much trouble with the surface since he's reported to work on it at home every morning. Already a smart performer, Cai Shen ended last season on high with a front-running win in a minor event at Doncaster (1¼m) and it will be no surprise to see him carry on where he left of for a yard who took the race with Scintillo three years ago, particularly if handed a favourable inside berth from which he can attack.

Another who very much comes under radar is Timeform top-rated Myplacelater, a filly who embodies the phrase 'from rags to riches' having cost a paltry 1,800gns as a foal only to be sold the winner of five races, including at listed level (1 ½m, Newmarket, October 2010), for 100,000gns at Tattersalls toward the end of last year. With her new owner Dr Marwan Koukash having stated he wants to explore the breeding side of racing, it would be safe to assume potential broodmare Myplacelater will be fully tuned up on her return by new trainer Richard Fahey in a bid to secure more prestigious black type.

With the likes of old-timers Suits Me (notorious front-runner) and Riggins, as well as Irish raider Vivacious Vivienne and course-and-distance listed heroine Tinshu, having a fair bit to find, it may pay to overlook them in favour of others with stronger cases.

One of which is another bargain basement purchase in Junoob, who was bought from Shadwell for 3,500gns by Amy Weaver in October and then claimed by Tom Dascombe for £12,000 prior to finishing second in the aforementioned listed race won by Tinshu. Junoob has improved further since, going with enthusiasm held up when reversing form with that rival in the Winter Derby Trial over course and distance last time, and he'll certainly have place claims on Saturday.

Epsom handicap winner Charles Camoin is a potential dark horse but will be in at the deep end having not seen a racecourse Royal Ascot in June, while Our Joe Mac bombed out on his second start over hurdles before Christmas and wasn't much better returned to the level in the Derby Trial a month ago.

Circumvent's career-best came over course and distance when second to Hunter's Light in the listed Churchill Stakes (Suits Me third) in November and he can be forgiven his effort in the listed Quebec Stakes, again over course and distance, a month later having been forced wide throughout. He could benefit from having Jimmy Fortune in the saddle for the first time but he'll need a favourable draw and his current price of [12.0] is only fair.

War Is War may be a French challenger but he's trained by a man in Eoghan O'Neill who knows plenty about British racing having saddled a pair of Group 2 winner and a narrow Classic second (name the race and the horse?...) when spending a decade training on these shores from 2000. War Is War was a close second in a Saint-Cloud Group 3 mid-way through the month but that improved effort came back on turf and his all-weather form earlier in the year is short of the required standard.

Black Spirit and Loyalty are others worthy of a mention as both have outside claims of shaking up the ratings principals, the former consistent at the trip but having his first run on polytrack and the latter a surface specialist who will need the race to be run to suit (benefits from strong gallop).

Although won by such horses as legendary globetrotter Running Stag and subsequent Woodbine Grade 2 winner Eccentric back when the race was a class B minor event or listed race, the Winter Derby has unsurprisingly increased in quality since being granted Group 3 status prior to the 2006 running with a performance equivalent to a Timeform rating of 114 now the average needed to succeed. Myplacelater may have only run to that figure once in her career, when second to Crystal Capella in the 2010 Pride Stakes at Newmarket, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility that the switch to a new yard could show her in her most favourable light and, with good form on the surface, she is worth chancing at current odds to strike first-time-out.

Recommendation

Back Myplacelater @ [19.0] in the Winter Derby at Lingfield

..........
Race Passes subscribers already enjoy access to our ratings, form & in-play data. And now there's more - we've added a list of Horses In Focus, last 3 runs on the meeting summary & coverage of big races abroad. And all for the same price!

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: