By Peter Moore at Lingfield Park Thursday 22nd February 2024
On a very wet and windy day at Lingfield Park, the staff at the Surrey track sould be praised for their sterling efforts to get the afternoons racing on.
Having survived an early morning inspection, their was always a risk of continuing heavy rain which would put the meeting in jeopardy.
Half an hour before the first race, some jockeys including Harry Skelton, walked the course which had standing water in places, along with clerk of the course Stephanie Wethered.
As a result, the meeting went ahead and Skelton for one was pleased that it did after riding a double by guiding Doyouknowwhatimean to a first success at his 12th attempt in the opening 2m handicap chase.
Skelton later was on board Major Fortune who secured a fourth win in a row in the 2m 7f handicap hurdle, which potentially could set up the six-year-old for a five timer bid at Sedgefield on Friday, with both winners trained by Dan Skelton.
Major Fortune’s success brought up a double for the very successful Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate, with Chris Gordon training his first winner for the group when Hidden History justified his odds on tag with a one and a quarter length victory over Home Free in the 2m 31/2f maiden hurdle.
In other highlights, the Mares Handicap Steeple- Chase turned into a two horse race between So Said I and Lazy Sunday.
There was little to choose between the pair approaching the last when Lazy Sunday fell to leave So Said I a comfortable run to the line to win by 39 lengths.
Galway Mahler made it two wins in the past month after following up his victory at Huntingdon 28 days ago with the bottom weight seeing off the highly fancied Camulus making his debut for new trainer Venetia Williams by two and a quarter lengths to give Sittingbourne trainer Karen Jewell another winner with the seven year old.