SANDRACER.COM - 2017 Lingfield Winter Derby

Grendisar leads Winter Derby Entries (sportinglife)

The 10-furlong Polytrack contest is a Fast-Track Qualifier for the #200,000 Betway Easter Classic over the same course and distance on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, April 14.

Trained by Marco Botti, Grendisar won both races in 2016 - after which he was crowned All-Weather Horse Of The Year - and is bidding to become the first dual winner of the Winter Derby.

Newmarket-based Botti has also entered Poeta Diletto, successful in last season's Italian 2000 Guineas, Kyllachy Gala, who has also come from Italy, and Brex Drago, who was third on his debut for the stable in a 10-furlong turf handicap at Meydan.

The William Haggas-trained Mutakayyef is an eyecatching possible and heads the ante-post market with the sponsors. The six-year-old son of Sea The Stars captured the Group Two Summer Mile at Ascot in July before finishing third in both the Juddmonte International at York and the Woodbine Mile in Canada.

Decorated Knight is another on the up after winning two of his three starts since joining Roger Charlton, latterly running out the decisive two-length victor of the Meld Stakes at Leopardstown in July.

Godolphin took the spoils with Tryster in 2015 and may rely on Saeed bin Suroor's Team Talk this time around. The four-year-old son of Teofilo defied his inexperience in the Listed Churchill Stakes - his third career start - over the course and distance in November, swooping down the outside to win by half a length.

Iain Jardine's Absolute Blast could be a dark horse after two impressive displays in handicaps.

Formerly trained in France and thought good enough to contest the 2015 Prix de Diane (French Oaks), the Kodiac mare was just touched off on her debut for new connections in a Newcastle handicap last month, before winning at Wolverhampton and Kempton.

Jardine, based at Carrutherstown near Dumfries, said: "Absolute Blast has come out of Kempton fine and will have an entry next Tuesday in the 86-105 fillies' handicap at Wolverhampton.

"We always knew she was nice and the biggest surprise we had with her was when she was beaten off 72 at Newcastle! That was a shock, but it is great she has followed up with two really good performances.

"She is not a definite runner in the Winter Derby at this stage, but it is certainly an option as we move down the line. She is a talented horse and I think she is entitled to have an entry, especially given her rating now.

"We won't be going there with her unless we feel we have a live chance.

"I don't think stepping up in trip is going to be any problem at all. You can switch her off anywhere in a race and it wouldn't surprise me if she ended up staying a mile and a half. That's what I have always thought."

Other notable entries include the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Arab Spring and stablemate Convey, and Jamie Osborne's Battalion, who is unbeaten in two starts for the Lambourn trainer.

There are two possible runners from Ireland, courtesy of Jim Bolger's Sanus Per Aquam and the 10-year-old Pique Sous, who has been lightly-raced by Willie Mullins since capturing the 2014 Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot.

 Sandracer @ 5:25 pm, February 03, 2017  

Winter Derby 2017 - Ante Post Odds @ Ladbrokes

Lingfield 16:15 (25 Feb 2017)

Mutakayyef 4/1
Decorated Knight 4/1
Arab Spring 9/2
Team Talk 6/1
Grendisar 6/1
Battalion 7/1
Convey 8/1
Pinzolo 16/1
Kyllachy Gala 16/1
Poeta Diletto 16/1
Sanus Per Aquam 16/1
Sixties Groove 16/1
Absolute Blast 16/1
Mythical Madness 20/1
Zhui Feng 25/1
Brex Drago 25/1
Youre Fired 25/1
Belgian Bill 33/1
Gabrial 33/1
Pique Sous 33/1
Every Chance 40/1
Our Channel 40/1
Forceful Appeal 50/1
Solar Deity 50/1
Gawdawpalin 80/1

1/4 Odds a place 1-2-3

 Sandracer @ 11:24 am, February 04, 2017  

Winter Derby Trial (Listed) 1m 2f Full Result

(4yo+, 1m 2f, Class 1, 8 runners)
key:: Pos Dist Horse Trainer Age Weight Jockey SP

1st (1) 2 Decorated Knight 9/2
Prominent 1f, held up in touch, effort over 1f out, led inside narrowly inside final furlong, edged right, held on
R Charlton 5 9-5 Andrea Atzeni



2nd (3) s.h 1 Arab Spring (IRE) 9/4f
Prominent 1f, tracked leaders, 2nd going well over 2f out, led over 1f out, driven and headed narrowly inside final furlong, ran on, just held
Sir Michael Stoute 7 9-5 R L Moore



3rd (4) 1¼ 3 Battalion (IRE) 5/2
Slow to break, held up in rear, not clear run over 2f out, headway over 1f out, kept on, unable to challenge, just held on to 3rd opened 7/2 touched 9/4
J A Osborne 7 9-3 G Baker



4th (2) s.h 5 Grendisar (IRE) 3/1
Mid-division, ridden and headway 1f out, edged left and kept on inside final furlong, unable to get on terms, just failed to get 3rd opened 5/2 touched 10/3
M Botti 7 9-0 p A Kirby



5th (5) 1½ 6 Mythical Madness 20/1
Mid-division, headway over 3f out, driven and unable to quicken entering final furlong, no extra towards finish
D O'Meara 6 9-0 v D Tudhope



6th (8) ½ 8 Solar Deity (IRE) 50/1
Slow to break, held up in rear, effort wide on home turn, no impression, kept on same pace inside final furlong opened 40/1
Jane Chapple-Hyam 8 9-0 p S Donohoe



7th (6) 7 4 Forceful Appeal (USA) 50/1
Led, headed over 7f out, stayed handy, weakened over 1f out
S Dow 9 9-0 Tom Marquand



8th (7) 6 7 Our Channel (USA) 50/1
Prominent on outside, led over 7f out, ridden 3f out, headed over 1f out, soon weakened opened 33/1
J A Osborne 6 9-0 p J P Spencer



Tote Returns:: Tote Win £5.00 Tote Place £1.30,£1.40,£1.40 Straight Forecast £14.54 Exacta £15.50 Trifecta £42.90 Swingers 1&2 £2.70,1&3 £2.20,2&3 £2.60

 Sandracer @ 10:26 pm, February 06, 2017  

Non Runner No Bet Winter Derby Odds @ Ladbrokes

Mutakayyef 6/5 Fav
Battalion 4/1
Convey 11/2
Grendisar 6/1
Absolute Blast 12/1
Pinzolo 16/1
Mythical Madness 25/1
Youre Fired 25/1
Zhui Feng 33/1
Solar Deity 40/1

# Non Runner No Bet
# Rule 4 May Apply
# Each Way 1/5 1-2-3

 Sandracer @ 4:26 pm, February 23, 2017  

2017 Winter Derby - How They Ran

1st (10) 3 Convey 11/2
Mid-division, chased leaders over 2f out, effort on outside over 1f out, soon ridden, ran on well inside final furlong, led near finish opened 7/1 touched 4/1
Sir Michael Stoute 5 9-0 Andrea Atzeni


2nd (9) nk 6 Pinzolo 17/2
Led, ridden over 1f out, headed narrowly inside final furlong, stayed on and every chance final 100 yards, just held opened 14/1 touched 7/1
I Mohammed 6 9-0 p Tom Marquand


3rd (5) hd 10 Absolute Blast (IRE) Archie Watson 5 8-11 Oisin Murphy 9/1
Tracked leaders, headway over 1f out, ridden to lead narrowly inside final furlong, edged right, kept on, headed and dropped to 3rd near finish


4th (8) nk 9 Zhui Feng (IRE) 11/1
Tracked leader, driven 2f out, ridden to challenge over 1f out, kept on and every chance inside final furlong, no extra towards finish
Mrs A J Perrett 4 8-13 Jim Crowley


5th (2) nk 4 Grendisar (IRE)
Mid-division, driven to chase leaders over 1f out, soon ridden, switched inside and every chance final 100 yards, kept on, held near finish opened 6/1 touched 9/4
M Botti 7 9-0 b1 A Kirby 11/4


6th (1) 3½ 2 Battalion (IRE) 7/4f
Dwelt, in rear, ridden and headway on inside over 1f out, kept on same pace, never troubled leaders opened 11/2 touched 2/1
J A Osborne 7 9-0 G Baker


7th (6) 2 8 You're Fired (IRE) 50/1
Towards rear, outpaced 2f out, never on terms, weakened final furlong
K R Burke 6 9-0 D C Costello


8th (3) 22 5 Mythical Madness 20/1
Towards rear, outpaced 2f out, weakened over 1f out
D O'Meara 6 9-0 p J P Spencer


PU (4) 7 Solar Deity (IRE) 40/1
Tracked leaders until lost action and pulled up after 2f
Jane Chapple-Hyam 8 9-0 p S Donohoe

 Sandracer @ 5:15 pm, February 25, 2017