Triggerman can fire for Philip Hobbs at Stratford
Mid-week all-weather meetings at Lingfield Park may not have been the original raison d’être for Godolphin.
But Saeed bin Suroor has a 41% strike-rate on the Polytrack and a couple of Listed races make this an above-average card. The EBF Normandie Stud Fleur de Lys Fillies' Stakes has drawn an interesting mix of runners but Aspectoflove (pictured, right) looks capable of winning despite having to carry a 3lb penalty.
That came for her victory in a Listed handicap at Ascot last month and she appears to be a filly who is at her best in the second half of the year as four of her five wins have come between last September and mid-November. She also clearly acts on the surface having won her only two starts at Dundalk, when trained in Ireland by John Oxx.
Godolphin also has a strong contender for the other Listed race on the card, EBF Cockney Rebel First Crop Success River Eden Fillies' Stakes. Baila Me beat Rosika by four lengths in this race 12 months ago but the Godolphin runner is coming back from a 355-day layoff and it may just be that Rosika, who ran a stormer behind Dirar in the Ebor Handicap at York in August, will have the edge in fitness and stamina a year on.
Tell Massini is going to be short odds when he has his first start over fences in the Shottery Beginners' Chase at Stratford. He was unbeaten in his first three starts over hurdles until blowing out in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
That was clearly not his true form but he will be having his first run for 223 days and his trainer, Tom George, has saddled just one winner form 17 runners so far this season. Bearing that in mind it might be worth siding with Triggerman, himself rated in the 130s as a hurdler.
He has the edge on both fitness and experience having had two runs over fences this season – second both times – and the Philip Hobbs yard is in prime form with 28% strike-rate for the month so far.
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