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Timeform Daily View | Wednesday preview and tips
Nic Doggett provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Wednesday.
Three points of interest
Crisfords bidding for Winter Oaks Trial hat-trick
The pick of the action at Lingfield on Wednesday comes in the feature Winter Oaks Trial at 1.20 with a field of 11 set to go to post for this 0-105 handicap that has been dominated by Simon and Ed Crisford for the past two seasons.
The Crisfords saddled Al Agaila to a hard-held two-and-a-half length win (from a BHA mark of 79) in 2022, while Oh So Grand quickened sharply late on a year later to record a one-and-a-quarter length success from a BHA mark of 85.
This year’s representative Charlotte’s Web has a BHA mark of 88 and she is a fairly surprising top-weight compared to Makinmedoit (98) in 2022 and Rousay (100) in 2023.
So, whilst the quality of the race is significantly down on previous years, the potential is still very much there with Charlotte’s Web who won with a bit up her sleeve at Newcastle last time. She’s expected to defy a 6 lb rise in the weights and complete her hat-trick.
But how does the race stack up as a trial for the Winter Oaks, which this year takes place on January 18?
Viola, winner of the 2021 renewal which took place at Southwell, was a well-held 10th in the Winter Oaks, but both Al Agaila and Oh So Grand proved progressive enough to follow up their Trial wins in the big race itself.
Don’t say you haven’t been warned...
In-form Bown and Owen combine
After a season-long battle, Sean Dylan Bowen edged Joe Leavy by two wins to be named the British Champion Apprentice Flat Jockey for 2024 back in October and the young rider has continued where he left off.
He takes the ride on Charlotte’s Web for the first time, the pick of his mounts on what looks a strong book of rides for the young Irishman, including a couple for the former Qatar-based handler Hilal Kobeissi.
Bowen also rides for his boss James Owen, with the stoutly-bred Gray Rainbow an interesting runner in division two of the mile maidens at 12.50, and it was Owen who gave a good insight into his young rider following his apprentice title win.
Owen said: “Sean is a real team player with a great head on his shoulders, very well mannered, and an extremely natural horseman. He has been incredibly committed this season and has a very bright future ahead of him. Myself and the team couldn't be happier and more proud of him.”
Of course, Owen himself is no stranger to recent success under both codes.
Opec turned the fillies' juvenile hurdle into a procession at Newbury on Friday, just as Burdett Road had in the Greatwood Hurdle earlier in the month, and the trainer is currently operating at a 64% RTF. In November, the yard had a 28% strike-rate on the Flat, and 27% over jumps.
Cleary, Bowen and Owen are two names to keep on side, both on Wednesday and over the whole season.
Grounds for interest
There’s a welcome uplift in the quality of racing on offer on Wednesday, with Lingfield ably supported on the Flat by an intriguing Kempton card featuring a 1.6m guineas daughter by Frankel out of Cheveley Park winner Millisle – Alfareqa - who is making her debut for Owen Burrows in the colours of Shadwell at 4.10.
Later on, Roi De France is the star attraction in the listed Hyde Stakes at 7.10. He narrowly defeated Popmaster over C&D last month and bids to uphold the form on 6 lb worse terms. The classy Poker Face and progressive Whitcombe Rockstar are just two others of note in what looks an above-average renewal.
There’s also plenty to get your teeth into at both Ludlow and Haydock – particularly the Introductory Hurdle (2.15) and Leg 10(!) of the stayers’ veterans’ chase series (2.45) - and an interesting runner from one of Sporting Life's Five To Follow series from the start of the season.
Mellificent was highlighted by jockey Sean Quinlan, husband of the horse's trainer Lizzie:
"She ran a couple of times in mares’ listed races and the ground kind of went against her, but she's got a very nice mark of 114. She's shown all the right signs at home - I really like her – and I can see her winning a couple off her mark. She's a mare that could be going back to Doncaster at the end of the season for the three-mile mares' listed race (that she was fourth in last season) and hopefully she could be a flag-bearer for our yard."
With soft ground conditions seemingly in her favour (ground described by Timeform as 'soft' for her win at Carlisle and 'heavy' for her excellent fourth at Doncaster), and having won first time out for the past two seasons, she's an interesting runner in the finale at 3.18.
A dig into Mellificent's Timeform profile reveals that her dam Mise En Place won two races on soft/heavy ground, whilst Mellificent's half-brother Tamar Bridge - who has an entry at Aintree on Saturday - has three wins on heavy ground to his name.
Combining the leading data of Timeform with the inside track of Sporting Life could pay dividends.
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