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Curtain Call can be the big draw in Lingfield Derby Trial
CURTAIN CALL can give his
Epsom aspirations a shot in the
arm by winning the
totesport.com Derby Trial Stakes
at Lingfield.
Luca Cumani sent Kahyasi and
High-Rise to win the one-milethree-
furlong heat before going
on to glory at Epsom in 1988 and
1998 respectively.
Although it would be a big
jump to say Curtain Call will
come out on top on the first Saturday
in June, it is fair to say he
will be hard to beat here.
Trained by Jessica Harrington
as a juvenile, the son of Sadler's
Wells bagged a Group Two victory
and managed to split subsequent
2000 Guineas second and
first, New Approach and Henrythenavigator,
in the Futurity at
the Curragh.
Recruited by Cumani over the
winter, Curtain Call made a good
start at Nottingham when beating
two moderate rivals in a virtual
canter over 10 furlongs.
That told his supporters little
except he has wintered well, but
Cumani has a huge amount of
faith in this colt and that he is
taking the tried-and-tested route
may be indicative of high expectations.
Look Here is something of an
unknown quantity but she is
worth a try in the totesport 0800
221 221 Oaks Trial Stakes.
This daughter of Hernando
raced just once a juvenile but she
impressed many watchers when
accounting for subsequent winner
and Derby fancy Doctor Fremantle
at Newmarket.
Although returning from a
long lay-off, Look Here can supply
trainer Ralph Beckett with a
second successive win in the
race.
Verba is taken to launch a successful
raid for French-based
Englishman Richard Gibson in
the totesport Betxtra Chartwell
Fillies' Stakes.
Zaahid can land a deserved win
the totesport Victoria Cup at
Ascot.
Barry Hills' runner missed the
cut for the Lincoln at the beginning
of the season and was unfortunate
to run into the rapidlyimproving
Don't Panic when
finishing fourth in the consolation
race.
He then lined up against Lang
Shining at Newbury and despite
being well fancied he could not
match the pace of the Sir Michael
Stoute-trained winner.
Zaahid should not be written
off after those two defeats
though and can once again prove
competitive in this seven-furlong
heat.
Regal Flush proved good
enough to finish fourth in last
year's St Leger and it would be a
big surprise if he were turned
over in the John Doyle Buckhounds
Stakes.
At Nottingham, Cartimandua
can shrug off a near year-long
lay-off to score in the Listed totetentofollow.
co.uk Kilvington Fillies'
Stakes.
Goodbye has hit the bar on his
last two starts but can come good
in Warwick's HBG Construction
Ltd Handicap, while Alexander
Huricane is the pick in Thirsk's
Dick Peacock Sprint Handicap.
Haydock stage a mixed card
with the Grade Three totepool
Swinton Handicap Hurdle the
highlight.
David Pipe landed the race
with Acambo in 2006 and his I'm
So Lucky looks a likely type this
time around.
A winner at Royal Ascot two
years ago, I'm So Lucky evidently
possesses plenty of class and
really seems to have benefited
from the switch to Pipe's care earlier
this year.
An impressive winner at Stratford
in March, I'm So Lucky was
last seen when finishing second
in a decent Listed event at the
Grand National meeting.
He probably did not see out the
two-and-a-half-mile trip that day
but a drop back in distance here
should suit and he must have a
good chance in this ultra-competitive
event.
Spare Cash can land a second
consecutive victory at Uttoxeter
on Sunday. The Alan Kingtrained
six-year-old barely saw a
rival when cantering home over
course and distance last time and
a winner's penalty is unlikely to
stop him in the bet365 National
Hunt'' Novices' Hurdle.
Spare Cash turned in some fair
efforts in defeat prior to that victory,
chasing home smart sorts
like Carruthers, Hold Em and
Nevada Royale.
The way he scooted home by 29
lengths on his latest outing suggests
Spare Cash could be the
sort to run up a sequence in modest
company.
Storm Of Applause looks the
bet of the day in the John Tainton
And Graham Townsend Remembrance
Handicap Chase at
Worcester.
Philip Hobbs' seven-year-old
was a model of consistency over
fences last term and earned a
fully-deserved success at Ludlow
on his most recent start.
A school of thought suggests
he'll thrive on a left-handed track
like Worcester so the extended
two-and-a-half-miles could be
just the ticket.
9:23am Saturday 10th May 2008
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