Big fields of moderate horses are a feature of this afternoon’s cards and showers are forecast at the turf tracks too, which will have the nostrils of cautious punters flaring as they sense the whiff of danger on the air. But there is usually a chance worth taking somewhere on the programme and today it could well be a bet on Dragstone Rock (4.10) on the all-weather card at Lingfield.
Looking at this race yesterday, I was expecting to find Dragstone Rock heading the market, or sharing favouritism at least. Instead, he is a 9-2 chance to beat Jack The Truth (who has Silvestre de Sousa to aid his cause) and the five-times course winner Roundabout Magic.
Both are fair opponents but look weighted up to their best on this surface while Dragstone Rock has just five runs behind him – all this year – and has shown steady improvement with each start. His close second at Windsor last time was his best run yet, the time of the race was good and Roundabout Magic, who finished fourth, is a winner since. At his current odds, Dragstone Rock looks a very decent bet to maintain his progress and register the first win of his career.
Coeur Blimey (3.10) and Lungarno Palace (4.40) are two more to consider on the same card, while Rey Loopy (3.00) has plenty going for him up at Redcar. His best form is on the straight mile at Newcastle, but if he is going to reproduce it on turf it is likely to be on the straight mile here. Black Caesar (6.20) and Warofindependence (8.10) are the picks at the evening meetings at Brighton and Wolverhampton respectively.
Lingfield Park 1.40 Jeopardy John 2.10 Octave 2.40 Global Excel 3.10 Coeur Blimey 3.40 Sawwaah 4.10 Dragstone Rock (nap) 4.40 Lungarno Palace 5.10 Dubai Frame
Leicester 1.50 Murqaab 2.20 Flight Of Fantasy 2.50 Ghost Serge 3.20 Electric Landlady 3.50 Fanaar 4.20 Sweet Charity 4.50 Edge Of The World
Redcar 2.00 Jensue 2.30 Lever Du Soleil 3.00 Rey Loopy (nb) 3.30 Worth Waiting 4.00 Merry Banter 4.30 Danehill Desert 5.00 Rickyroadboy 5.35 Raffle King
Brighton 5.50 River Rule 6.20 Black Caesar 6.50 Orsera 7.20 Stormingin 7.50 Roy Rocket 8.20 Robert The Painter 8.50 Titus Secret
Wolverhampton 6.10 Ty Rock Brandy 6.40 Sporting Chance 7.10 Kazawi 7.40 Ledham 8.10 Warofindependence 8.40 Zafaranah 9.10 Zapateado
