Five punting tips to help you stay one step ahead of the action at Lingfield

Ace tipster Richard Birch gives you his top five pointers on how to turn your Saturday punting prowess over jumps into success on the all-weather at Lingfield.

Course form is vital

All-weather form does not necessarily transfer from track to track. While the surface is obviously a significant factor – for example, Southwell’s Fibresand is totally different to the Lingfield Polytrack – it is not the only one to consider.

The configuration of Newcastle and Southwell suits a galloping type of horse, while short home straights at Lingfield and Wolverhampton play more to the strengths of a sharper type who is blessed with a turn of foot.

Focus on those runners at Lingfield on Saturday who have proven winning form there in preference to others who have shown their best elsewhere.

Look for the top riders

The top jockeys are worth following at Lingfield. This may seem obvious, but it is worth highlighting all the same.

Lingfield is a very difficult track to ride owing to its gradients, turns, and run-in of under two furlongs. I’ve often wondered if all the bookmakers got together to design it!

Ryan Moore: one ot watch out for at Lingfield on SaturdayCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Hard-luck stories are a regular occurrence in races at the track, and you’ll rarely see an event there which ends without at least one horse enduring trouble in running.

Ryan Moore is the best rider in action at the Surrey track on Saturday, and it will be a surprise if he fails to drive home with at least two winners to his name.

Low draws are advantageous

The draw rates a major factor in all sprint races on turning tracks, and Lingfield is no exception. Common sense dictates that runners drawn low in sprints and even those in events at up to a mile have some sort of advantage.

Horses drawn widest of all will need to cut across towards the inside to get cover or use up valuable energy to get to the front before moving to the rail.

Many jockeys at Lingfield will elect to ride for luck entering the home straight and find themselves trapped behind a wall of horses, while some will surrender significant ground by sweeping wide.

A low draw can lessen the chance of either of those scenarios happening.

Beware the bunch finish

There was a time when it seemed extremely difficult to make all at Lingfield. That is no longer the case but it is amazing how often the complexion of a race can change in the closing stages there.

While the home straight on Lingfield’s all-weather track is short, the final furlong often seems to go on forever, particularly if you’ve backed the leader as the pack bear down towards the finish.

Fields of all sizes will often dramatically bunch up in the final 50 yards and many an in-running punter has been caught out over the years.

Watch out for Hannon

A punter who has backed every runner to have represented leading trainer Richard Hannon on Lingfield’s all-weather track since 2017 would be boasting a profit to a £1 level stake of £12.47.

Hannon, who has won with two of his last three runners – Arafi (Kempton) and Host (Wolverhampton) – is represented by Mummy Bear in the fillies' novice stakes (1.25), his sole runner at the meeting. Ryan Moore rides.

Read more Saturday previews

Ryan Moore ready to take centre stage with a fantastic five at Lingfield (Members’ Club)

Ex-jockey George Baker on how to successfully ride the Lingfield all-weather

1.40 Naas: Festival favourite Elimay ready to take centre stage for Cheltenham rehearsal

2.00 Lingfield: 'Exciting' sprinter Charlie Fellowes takes first step towards Royal Ascot target

2.15 Naas: 'He has a nice race like this in him' - many in with a shout in red-hot contest

2.35 Lingfield: 'Ryan Moore was keen to ride and we'll be disappointed if he doesn't win'

3.10 Lingfield: 'She's on a winnable mark' - Ed Walker hoping Capriolette can boost course form

3.45 Lingfield: Mike Murphy believes Garth Rockett has 'every chance' of continuing yard's form

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