Lingfield preview: Varsovian primed for another victory
Published:
David Metcalf | November 19, 2015
Varsovian has an excellent record at Lingfield, so can further enhance it with victory in the 6f handicap on today’s eight-race card at the Surrey venue (14.50).
The Dean Ivory trained gelding is a three-time course and distance winner who has developed into a real polytrack specialist and shown progressive form in winning three of his five starts this year.
In the last of those victories at Chelmsford back in April, Varsovian travelled strongly throughout on the heels of the leaders and only had to be ridden clear inside the final furlong to score with more in hand than the 1 1/2 length winning margin suggests.
The five-year-old was hit with a 7lb rise for that success, but showed that his revised mark of 87 was not beyond him when fourth at Chelmsford last time out after a 202 day break.
Varsovian shaped as if needing the outing, holding every chance at the furlong marker before weakening late on to be beaten three lengths.
That run should have blown away the cobwebs and put the son of Refuse To Bend spot on for this and, with Robert Winston in the saddle, Varsovian is going to be tough to beat on the pick of his form now returned to his favourite stomping ground.
Farham worth a wager
In the 1m handicap (15.20), Farham can take advantage of what looks a lenient mark to open his account.
The Richard Fahey trained gelding has only had three starts, and shaped with bags of promise on debut when runner-up to Darshini in a 10-runner contest at Sandown which has thrown-up plenty of subsequent winners.
Farham kept on well to be beaten just a length, and the winner is now rated 87. That represents strong form in the contest of this class 5 contest and suggests that the assessor has taken a chance in allotting Farham an opening handicap mark of just 72.
The three-year-old also comes into the contest on the back of a promising comeback run at Wolverhampton after 404 days on the sidelines, and Farham, unlike the vast majority of his rivalsn remains unexposed and open to further progress.
Selections:
12.10: Lee’s Hall
12.40: Dark Shot
13.10: Stars At Night
13.40: Pure Fantasy
14.15: Fallen For A Star
14.50: Varsovian (NAP)
15.20: Farham (NB)
15.50: The Yank
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