Lingfield preview: Big Time ticks all the right boxes

David Metcalf | December 9, 2015

Big Time has been knocking on the door of late and can gain a deserved success in the 1m handicap on today’s card at Lingfield (13.20).

The gelding had some very smart form to his name as a juvenile when trained in Ireland, winning on his debut at Naas before going on to finish runner-up in the Group 2 Railway Stakes and Group 1 Phoenix Park Stakes.

Expect a Big run this Time

Big Time then had just two runs as a three-year-old and was far from disgraced on the first of those when fifth of 11 to Kingman in the Irish 2000 Guineas off an official rating of 114.

Now in the care of Dandy Nicholls, the four-year-old is able to race off a career-low mark of 85 having shown that he retains plenty of ability in finishing in the frame in three of his last four starts.

In the first of those at Nottingham, Big Time got collared close home and beaten a neck second in a competitive class 4 contest for the grade.

The son of Kheleyf also ran really well when third on his penultimate outing at Chelmsford, and was a big eye-catcher at Kempton nine days ago when staying on strongly from a hopeless position to finish a never nearer 1 3/4 length third to Steal The Scene.

Those runs sugests Big Time is ready to strike, and this is a weaker class 4 contest than those he has been competing in and represents a golden opportunity for him to get back on the scoresheet.