Horse Racing

Saturday Lingfield top racing tip: Pepper Streak looking to win from the front

Steve JonesSteve Jones17 December 2022
Celtic Art in action at Lingfield Park

Celtic Art in action at Lingfield Park

With only the synthetic tracks surviving the current cold snap, Tipstrr's horse racing expert Steve Jones has picked out his best bet from Saturday's all-weather meeting at Lingfield.

Of those at the head of the early market, Bethersden Boy hasn't won since his career debut (on turf) back in May last year, plus he has stall 10 to overcome. Meanwhile, Yimou has an even longer losing spell to overcome, having not won since July 2020 (again on turf), whilst he is yet to win on the all-weather in thirteen attempts.
With two very infrequent winners heading the market there is potential value elsewhere, and it seems significant that Pepper Streak is Adrian Nicholls' only runner of the day.

Equally noteworthy is the fact the Yorkshire trainer has previously sent only two of his rides on the 508-mile round trip to Lingfield during his entire training career, one of which was Pepper Streak herself back in July.

13:15 (Lingfield) Pepper Streak

On that day, the three-year-old filly broke so smartly from stall eight that she was able to cut across the rest of the field quickly enough to lead them into the first bend, from where she led the race until being marginally headed in the final furlong, staying on well enough to be beaten only a short-head and a neck in a close three-way finish.

The runner-up was today's re-opposing rival, The Defiant, who received a pound from Pepper Streak in July, but this time Pepper Streak receives seven pounds, so she should be able to reverse that narrow margin between them, especially from a more favourable draw.

Behind Pepper Streak in fourth place was another of her re-opposing rivals, Mick's Spirit, who actually took the lead from Pepper Streak entering the final furlong, only for positions to be switched again in the final strides, with the filly going away from him at the line.

Pepper Streak wore cheekpieces that day and that headgear has since been changed for a hood in a bid to curb her keen-going tendencies after she went off rather soon on that run.
She wore the hood for the first time at Wolverhampton on her latest outing a couple of weeks ago, where she broke as well as ever from the inside draw, but she was given no peace up front and that understandably compromised her finishing effort.

The contested lead ultimately set the race up for those who came from off the pace, but Peppered Streak did the best of those who were involved in the early skirmishes, eventually finishing a game fourth.

Under Connor Murtagh, who rode her here last time, and who has made the long journey with the filly for just this one ride on the card, another sharp exit from the stalls can see the speedy filly lead these rivals from start to finish.
Of the others, Darryll Holland's five-year-old Lilkian can go well from the inside draw as he drops back to the minimum trip after running within a length of the winner in a six-furlong handicap here on Wednesday.

Lilkian has a history of relishing a quick return to action, and the last time he ran over this course and distance in May, he carried top weight to win an eight-runner contest comfortably, and under the same jockey and carrying five pounds less, he can go well again here.

    Related News