ITV Friday Lingfield And Newcastle Preview

The tricky 7-runner Marathon event kicks off AW Champions Day on Friday and we feel Andrew Balding’s Ranch Hand has the ability to serve it up to the market leader Rainbow Dreamer.

Last year’s Rose Bowl Stakes winner has 4lb to find on ratings however he is still improving as a 5-y-o and he beat two of these giving them 3lb on return at Chelmsford.

Bar the four year old in the race this is competed off level weights therefore he is better off from that clash and James Doyle is an interesting booking from the yard having had two wins and two places from 5 runners the past 12 months.

Newcastle host racing on ITV this Friday and the first race to be shown is the Class 4 Bombardier Handicap over seven furlongs and Dulas for Charles Hills looks an interesting runner.

The four year old has found it tough during his career to date and in his last four handicaps bouts has showed glimpses of ability but nothing too strong.

He has since been gelded and we believe this will bring huge improvement out of him with the yard also making a nice start to the flat season.

Indie Angel is a better horse over 1m however she should get away with 7f in a race that lacks depth.

The 4-y-o grey filly won the Fleur De Lys Fillies' Stakes Stakes (Listed) here in October beating the likes of Lavender’s Blue and Ummalnar and that piece of form is by far the best on offer.

She is clear on ratings and as one of the younger horses in the race looks open to the most improvement this season.

Next up on ITV is the Class 4 six furlong handicap at Newcastle and Global Warning for trainer Chris Dwyer takes the eye.

The five year old has been in fine form of late, winning two of his last three races since joining this yard and although slightly up in the weights has a handy claimer on board today.

Both of wins over the last few months came at Newcastle over the same course and distance and he has to be respected off only 1lb higher than his last win.

Connections of Harry’s Bar would have been hoping for a better draw than stall 12 however this may result in a slight drift on the day which would make him a decent each-way bet with four places on offer.

The 6-y-o son of Exceed and Exceel was a prolific winner for James Fanshawe and his debut for Adrian McGuinness was arguably his best performance to date having beat multiple Group winner Speak In Colours by over 3l.

His latest efforts can be forgiven as the first came in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint where he simply failed to fire and he was giving away weight to a pair of comparably-rated horses last time out over 1m Dundalk.

He will be much more happier returned to 6f and it is notable Hollie rides him over a number of options.

The feature race at Newcastle on Friday is the Listed Burradon Stakes over a mile and the John & Thady Gosden trained Megallan looks the most obvious winner.

The three year old was a bright juvenile winning on debut and then finishing a close second in his next two events at Kempton and Newbury.

He was then stepped up to Group Three company at Newmarket and finished a fair fourth on soft ground behind One Ruler and Van Gogh, who went on to frank the form in better races.

Megallan on his final start as a two year old was outclassed on heavy ground in the Group One Vertem Futurity Stakes at Doncaster.

Giving the winter to strengthen up, he returned for his seasonal debut this term at Lingfield in the Listed Spring Cup Stakes and he finished a narrow second behind Apollo One, doing everything but win the race.

That would have put him spot on for this event and should only improve for his opening run.

Clive Cox’s unexposed Dilligent Harry has been all the rage in the ante post betting for this race off the back of his eye-catching second here last time out but with the each-way value gone we are happy to oppose him at a short price.

He is still open to plenty of improvement however his bare form is definitely not the best in this race and Archie Watson’s Mighty Gurkha has an excellent record on the AW (4 runs 3 wins 1 second).

The early speed which this horse is capable of producing could still give Hollie Doyle the lead from stall 7 and once he is there he can take some pegging back.

The final runner from Newcastle on Saturday comes in the 1m4f Handicap and we re looking for a John & Thady Gosden double on the day with Defined.

The Cheveley Park Stud owned colt has showed plenty of ability to date, really getting his act together since the turn of the year having not finished outside the top three on his last three starts.

Having finished third at Lingfield over 1m2f at the start of January behind the smart Tomborrada and Too Friendly, who have since franked the form, he then went to Chelmsford and finished a narrow second behind Glen Again.

He used those runs to get off the mark for the season at Kempton last time out and although needing to reverse the form with Glen Again, he looks to be a much more progressive horse.

The feature event at Lingfield on Friday is the All-Weather Middle Distance Championships Conditions Stakes over 1m2f and Bangkok over the years looks to be a specialist round here.

The five year old has been a superstar for Andrew Balding over the years, landing races like Group Three Classic Trial and the Winter Derby Trial in back to back years.

This season he has been battling it out with Forest Of Dean and has beaten him on every occasion so a reverse of the form this time around would be a surprise.

Having landed the derby Trial over course and distance in February, the gelding then went to Riyadh for the Saudi Cup and finished a mid-field eighth behind winner Mishriff, who has since gone on to land the Group Dubai Sheema Classic.

Getting back to a track he handles well should see him back to his best.

We move on to the AW Mile in which we have two selections, with a win and each way selection with both horses looking to have huge chances but are at the other end of the betting.

The win selection is Roger Varian’s Khuzaam, who boasts admirable form figures despite having numerous injuries throughout his career.

Due to these issues the son of Kitten’s Joy is still lightly-raced for his age and they look to have him right this season with this being his fourth run since November which will be the most he has had in one campaign.

This should mean he is reaching peak fitness and if he is able to match some of his earlier form he will take all the beating from stall 2.

At an each-way price Mission Boy looks interesting with Adam Kirby in the saddle.

The yard won this race with a decent price back in 2015 and this son of Paco Bay faded over the extended 1m at Wolverhampton in the Lincoln trial.

On that evidence the slight decrease in trip on a more speedy track should see him take a step froward.

He was a Group horse in Italy and he hasn’t been with his new yard for long.