YOUR GUIDE TO THIS AFTERNOON’S ACTION
WATCH OUT FOR…
FIRE DEMON (12.50, Lingfield) IT always catches the eye when you see the green, white and pink silks of powerful breeding operation Juddmonte in action — and the colours that Frankel, Enable and other greats carried will be on Fire Demon this afternoon. A winner on his most recent appearance, at Kempton two weeks ago, this three-year-old colt looks to be progressive for trainer Andrew Balding, who provided Juddmonte with a 2,000 Guineas winner in Chaldean last May. Fire Demon is not a world beater — yet — but he will take some stopping here.
MINELLA COCOONER (3.05 Navan) THERE is quiet confidence that racing will go ahead at the Meath track and, if that is the case, keep your eye on this Willie Mullins chaser. He has run just eight times in his life but always carried a decent reputation and has not had the wins to reflect his talent. His biggest threat today will be posed by lively favourite Sandor Clegane but, sooner or later, Minella Cocooner is going to put it all together in a race and show his rivals a clean pair of heels. This is just his third race over fences, he has plenty of improvement in him.
JOCKEY TO FOLLOW
THE big race days matter most to three-time champion jockey RYAN
MOORE and he has much to look forward to this year for Coolmore and Ballydoyle. But he has a voracious appetite for riding winners and it is significant that he is arriving at Lingfield, on a bitingly cold afternoon, for four rides. He gets the leg up on GRENHAM
BAY (12.15), FIRE DEMON (12.50) — both for Andrew Balding — then TALIS
EVOLVERE (2.00) for Richard Hannon and TWIRLING (3.10), trained by Simon and Ed Crisford. Twirling runs in the colours of Coolmore co-owner Michael Tabor’s wife, Doreen.
WHAT’S IN A NAME
BERGERAC (2.35 Lingfield) If that word does not take you back to a Sunday night, BBC One and a classic car whizzing around Jersey, what were you watching? Yes, Bergerac is a town in France but it was also a crime drama starring John Nettles. The horse of the same name has won its past two starts.
BIG DAY FOR…
SAFFIE OSBORNE Injury cut short her breakthrough year and she has not ridden competitively since October, but she is back at Wolverhampton with rides on HASHTAGMETOO (7.00) and MOVEONUP (8.00).