All Weather round-up: Lingfield preview and two for the My Stable Tracker

Gosden and Botti chase Winter Derby spoils

The 2021 running of the Betway Winter Derby takes place at Lingfield on Saturday, but on first inspection, this might be one the weaker renewals of the race in recent memory.

John Gosden has landed the last two runnings with Wissahickon and Dubai Warrior, and is this year represented by Forest Of Dean whom connections have persisted with having had to miss the whole of 2020.

It is possible he might be capable of better still, but finishing behind Felix the last twice suggests he will again have his work cut against his old rival and it is Marco Botti’s steadily-progressive five-year-old who could be the one to beat.

The son of Lope De Vega enjoyed a good time of things last winter and has resumed in good nick, trading blows with the classy Bangkok the last twice and confirming himself up to this level.

He might have most to fear from the well-touted Father Of Jazz who has won his last three in facile fashion and remains open to considerable improvement.

Roger Varian’s Kingman colt is the one in here who might be capable of going on to better things, but he’ll be plenty to short enough on Saturday and Felix, the intended mount of Hollie Doyle, is the horse with the form in the book.

The Betway Hever Sprint Stakes also features on a really good card and Moss Gill, a Listed winner at York last summer, is the headline act.

The Middleham raider progressed through the ranks last summer and is another whose ceiling might not have been reached just yet, but I do wonder if Rocket Action can spring a minor surprise.

Robert Cowell’s charge is four from seven on synthetics and he doesn’t have too many miles on the clock, certainly not enough to suggest he can’t take further steps forward in the coming months.

Elsewhere on the same card, it will be fascinating to see whether Intuitive can build on his stylish success over this same course and distance last month. He has steadily improved since joining Simon and Ed Crisford but the lack of any guaranteed pace in the Bombardier British-Hopped Amber Beer Handicap is something prospective backers would be right to be mindful of.

A day earlier, I’ll be interested to see how Nellie Moon performs in the Play Ladbrokes 5-A-Side On Football Novice Stakes at the same track having shaped so well when running-on strongly for fourth at Kempton last time.

This filly is all about stamina and while Lingfield might not play to her strengths entirely, she appears promising and should be able to win her fair share in due course. This doesn’t look the strongest of races for her third career start and I’ll be interested to see what tactics jockey Richard Kingscote employs.

Appleby recruit on the upgrade

It has been said many times before, but Mick Appleby really is a terrific trainer and that was again in evidence this week.

Having picked up United Front from Aidan O’Brien in December, Appleby would have been forgiven for wondering just what more could be achieved with this son of War Front, a horse already rated 88 and seemingly not expected to develop into a group horse by those in the know at Ballydoyle.

Still, Appleby has grown a career and reputation by improving horses from other yards and United Front’s comfortable victory at Newcastle on Tuesday hinted that his new recruit might be capable of putting himself in the mix for some nice handicaps on the turf this summer.

Typically well-bred, the four-year-old had finished second on his first three starts for Appleby until coming good on Tyneside and he is just the sort that his trainer can be expected to eke further improvement from.

An entry in the Lincoln would appear fanciful at this stage, but there is still time for United Front to win again and potentially get himself rated high enough to get a run at Doncaster, should connections want to go that away.

He is certainly one to watch next time out.

A day earlier, Host was turned over at prohibitive odds at Wolverhampton having looked a horse firmly on the upgrade when bolting up at that same track previously.

He is 4lb higher in the handicap than for that success, but his defeat on Monday owed more to the steady early gallop which saw him pull hard in the rear before failing to finish his race like he can.

The seconds next to his name are now mounting up, but I remain convinced that he is much better than his current rating and will be willing to give him another chance when I think he’ll get a strong pace to chase.

• All Weather Weekly: February 18
• All Weather Weekly: February 11
• All Weather Weekly: February 4
• All Weather Weekly: January 28
• All Weather Weekly: January 21
• All Weather Weekly: January 5
• All Weather Weekly: December 29
• All Weather Weekly: December 22
• All Weather Weekly: December 17
• All Weather Weekly: December 10
• All Weather Weekly: December 3
• All Weather Weekly: November 27