Racing on the all-weather can be associated with slightly rougher riding and horses racing much closer than they do on the turf, and while this sometimes is the case I think it’s an unfair generalisation of what happens. Riding at places like Lingfield and Kempton on the all-weather is obviously different to racing at places like Newmarket and Chepstow on the turf where they have long, wide straights that you can race up the middle of.
If you are in a 14-runner low grade sprint handicap at Kempton you are all going to be trying to run the same sort of race and get to the best spot on the track. It would be the same if they were racing close to the rail on a turf course so I wouldn’t define that as ‘all-weather tactics’.
On the all-weather courses you’re going around in a tighter circuit to some turf courses. Nobody wants to be three wide if they can help it, so everyone tries to give their horse the best possible chance of winning by trying to save ground as much as possible when the can and that can sometimes lead to a bit of bunching but no more than that.
I do think sometimes you have to be a little bit more switched on as a result to what might happen in an all-weather race. You can get some riders that make what I feel are suspect manoeuvres that can cause problems.
I think that’s what happened at Kempton on Wednesday night when two jockeys and horses came down in a race. An inexperienced rider made an error and it caused the problems, although luckily everyone came out of the incident okay. You just need to be aware of what might happen in these races.
Hopefully everything will go smoothly with my rides at Lingfield and I’m looking forward to seeing what some of them can do.
Royal Marskell – 1.25 Lingfield He seems to have shown his best form around Southwell but his trainer Gay Kelleway feels he’ll be just as good around Lingfield on the Polytrack. You can get a lot of horses that are Southwell specialists because the surface there is a lot different to the other all-weather tracks so it’ll be interesting to see if he can transfer across his good form from there. It’s a trappy race to start the day off with but he’s got a good each-way chance I think.
Mambo Fever – 2.35 Lingfield I won on this filly a few starts back and she’s stayed in good form since that run. I think she’s on a mark that she can still be very competitive from and she’s another with a really solid each-way chance. She’s nicely berthed in stall one for a horse that likes to make the running so if she can dictate and get her own way then she’s more than capable.
Si Senor – 3.45 Lingfield He got a lovely trip round when winning over course and distance last time, and he’s drawn well again for this race in stall one to get another clean run. He quickened well and put the race to bed nicely that day. I know connections see him as a potential Winter Derby horse and if he’s going to go on and compete in a race like that he’ll be sure to be involved in the finish for this off his handicap mark. I was lucky to win the Winter Derby a couple of years ago on Robin Hoods Bay for the same trainer Ed Vaughan and owner Alan Pickering, so fingers crossed lightning can strike twice.
Maymyo – 4.20 Lingfield I rode him last time and he ran okay. He’s on a mark where he’s maybe high enough really and could do with dropping a couple of pounds in the handicap. He’s another with a good draw in stall two, which is a help, and I would think he’d run a solid race.
Equijade – 4.50 Lingfield Whether this filly lines up or not I don’t entirely know as she’s also in at Wolverhampton on Friday. If I do get to ride her at Lingfield she’ll be taking part in a really weak maiden with the only horse to be rated having a mark of only 56. There won’t be a lot to beat in the race and if she knows her job well enough then you’d like to think she’d go well.
Cheers, Luke
Do you think Luke will get a winner this weekend? Then why not go to Coral and back his rides now?
