Recent rain has had a detrimental effect on jump racing in the UK and, if that wasn’t bad enough, snow now threatens northern parts of the country.
Thank goodness for the all-weather with Lingfield likely to be the only meeting which survives this Tuesday.
It’s early in the year to be assessing the three-year-olds but some promising types are contesting the Ladbrokes Where The Nation Play Handicap, including six previous winners.
Horse Racing Betting at Betvictor
Ladbrokes Where the Nation Plays Handicap Odds
 |
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Vader | 13/8 | 7/4 | 7/4 |
| Auchterarder | 7/4 | 15/8 | 15/8 |
| Hamish Macbeth | 4/1 | 7/2 | 7/2 |
| Lexington Rebel | 9/1 | 8/1 | 8/1 |
| Dazzling Des | 10/1 | 12/1 | 12/1 |
| Heer We Go Again | 12/1 | 20/1 | 20/1 |
| I’m Digby | 16/1 | 20/1 | 20/1 |
(Odds correct at 17.30 February 24)
Table of Contents
Course form points to be a big run from enigmatic Des
Dazzling Des seem to be have been overlooked as a potential winner but it might not be wise to take his latest run at face value.
No doubt, David O’Meara’s sprinter has two ways of running but he nearly always follows a poor effort with a good run.
Stall seven isn’t ideal but the son of Bronze Beau is very speedy and the sharp 6f at Lingfield suits ideally. The general 12/1 is really much too big.
Will the force with be with Dark Vader?
Joseph O’Brien sends Dark Vader over from Ireland with the top weight having already won twice at Dundalk.
He’s looked much improved on the all-weather and won over 6f last time. The handicapper has had to use a little guesswork with his first handicap mark but it will be a surprise if he’s not thereabouts if handling the course.
Macbeth returns from Arabian adventure
Hamish Macbeth ran in Doha in december but the trip wasn’t a great success.
He’s only raced on the all-weather once before and finished last so he comes with risks attached making his handicap debut at a general 4/1.
Rebel seeking a cause
Lexington Rebel won over 5f on Turf last season but three runs over 6f have hardly set the pulses racing.
In those three races, he’s beaten a total of six horses and has yet to place. Silvestre De Sousa rides but that’s one of the few plus points and the Middleham Park colt is available at 9/1.
Improvement expected from Auchterarder
A half-brother to four winners, two of whom were trained by Mark Johnston, AUCHTERARDER is the type to make a better three-year-old than two-year-old.
The Gleneagles filly is out of a Listed winner that rarely ran a bad race and her offspring is heading the same way.
She won on Turf and on Tapeta last year but her best performance came when third over 6f at Wolverhampton on her final start, where she had to be switched in the closing stages and was staying on strongly. The general 15/8 is short enough but a measure of the confidence behind her.
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