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Linda's Lad Primed For Totesport.com Derby Trial At Lingfield
12/05/06

French maestro Andre Fabre will saddle Linda's Lad in the £60,000 totesport.com Derby Trial Stakes at Lingfield Park on Saturday, May 13.

Herve Barjot, racing manager to owner Sean Mulryan, revealed that the Sadler's Wells colt will run in the Group Three extended 11-furlong contest as he bids to step up on his comeback fourth behind stablemate Gentlewave in a Group Two event at Longchamp on April 17.

Barjot said today: "Linda's Lad is due to run at Lingfield on Saturday in the totesport.com Derby Trial. He has definitely come on since his race at Longchamp and is very well.

"While we were slightly disappointed with his last run, the race was not run to suit. He had to make the running, but he is a horse who likes to run behind a good pace, and he had no chance to take a second breath.

"Although he was fourth, he was not far behind the winner [beaten under a length]. Most of the others had a run under their belts and we are expecting a better performance this time."

Linda's Lad numbered the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud among his three victories last year, and as such will have to carry a 7lb penalty in the totesport.com Derby Trial, although connections are not unduly concerned by the extra burden.

Barjot continued: "The Group One penalty is a slight worry, but he has that weight for a reason. He is a colt with a touch of quality, and we hope that will be confirmed on Saturday.

"The left-handed track is definitely what he needs - he doesn't like going right-handed at courses like Longchamp. Good ground will be fine for him but he has never run on very quick ground.

"Being by Sadler's Wells, the trip will be no problem for him. We hope to be in the first three and are confident he will run very well - if he does, he will head to Epsom for the Derby."

Among those set to take their chance is the Terry Mills-trained Before You Go, who landed the Weatherbys Bank Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom last month.

Marcus Tregoning will make a decision on Botteen's participation later today, after talking with owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, who could also be represented by the Mick Channon-trained Hazeymm.

The Singspiel colt, who would be making his seasonal reappearance, ran twice over a mile last term, following a promising debut third at Goodwood with a length and a half victory over Papal Bull at Salisbury in September.

Tregoning said: "He's a nice horse in the making and he may take his chance. I haven't spoken with the owner yet - he also has Hazeymm in the race and I suspect he will not run both. Botteen is certainly fit enough."

The ground at Lingfield is currently good and has been watered.

There will be two giant screens at Lingfield Park on Saturday, with one dedicated to showing the FA Cup Final between Liverpool and West Ham.

In addition to the totesport.com Derby Trial, the tote is supporting the Listed totescoop6 Oaks Trial (3.10pm), worth £50,000, which has attracted 28 entries, the £60,000 totesport 0800 221221 Heritage Handicap, with 22 entries, and the Group Three £50,000 totepool Chartwell Fillies Stakes, with 12 entries including one from France and three from Ireland.

Prize money on the day is a grand total of £241,000 - Lingfield Park's richest raceday.

totesport.com Derby Trial At Lingfield Park 05/05/06

The parasols and flags will be out for the busy summer season at Lingfield Park, Pimms on the lawn, champagne corks popping, the Lingfield Derby and Oaks trials are here again and summer racing really begins on Saturday, May 13.

Lingfield Park Racecourse is delighted to welcome the tote as the new sponsor of the important Derby and Oaks trials that day, plus two other valuable races.

The Group Three 11-furlong totesport.com Derby Trial (2.40pm) promises is one of the most prestigious races of the year at Lingfield Park, with a total prize fund of £60,000.

The trial takes place three weeks before the Vodafone Derby at Epsom, which is perfect timing for the country's best three-year-olds to experience an undulating course with so many similarities Epsom.

Lingfield Park has always been known as the most successful of the specialist trial races due to its configurations.

Racing at Lingfield Park is the closest any Derby horse will experience to Epsom - particularly the left-hand downhill bend into the straight.

Tote Chairman Peter Jones said: "Being the biggest sponsors of racing, the tote is linked with many major races and therefore it is with great pleasure to become involved for the first time with the prestigious Derby and Oaks trials at Lingfield Park.

"The record over the years of horses going on to win at Epsom is quite good, and it would be terrific if our association with the races leads to an even better record!"

The Listed totescoop6 Oaks Trial (3.10pm) is worth £50,000 and the supporting races on the day include the prestigious totesport 0800 221221 Heritage Handicap, worth £60,000 and the Group Three £50,000 totepool Chartwell Fillies Stakes, taking the prize money on the day to a grand total of £241,000.

Mark Jones, Managing Director at Lingfield Park, commented: "I am delighted to welcome the Tote as new sponsors of these high status races at Lingfield Park.

"The course is in great condition. I am very pleased with the pre-raceday sales and, providing we get some good weather, I am confident we will attract a very good crowd."

"It is Lingfield Park's most prestigious day of the year and, despite the course holding nearly 100 meetings a year including Polytrack, jumping and turf Flat, the Derby Trials meeting always creates that special sense of excitement, and is hugely popular with everyone."

Gates open at 12.10pm

Order of Races

2.10 The totesport 0800 221221 Heritage Handicap (Class 2)
Total prize fund £60,000, 7 furlongs. Channel 4 TV

2.40 The totesport.com Derby Trial Stakes (Class 1) (Group 3)
Total prize fund £60,000, 1 mile 3 furlongs. Channel 4 TV

3.10 The totescoop6 Oaks Trial (Class 1) (Listed Race)
Total prize fund £50,000, 1 mile 3 furlongs. Channel 4 TV

3.40 The Edenbridge Maiden Stakes (Class 5)
Total prize fund £6,000, 1 mile 2 furlongs.

4.15 The totepool Chartwell Fillies' Stakes (Class1) (Group 3)
Total prize fund £50,000, 7 furlongs.

4.50 The Lingfield Park Trials Day Handicap (Class 4)
Total prize fund £10,000, 6 furlongs.

5.25 The OCS Group Ladies Handicap (Class 5)
Total prize fund £5,000, 7 furlongs. (Lady Amateur Jockeys)

Admission

Children under 16 (accompanied) FREE.

Premiere Enclosure £22

Grandstand Enclosure £17

Restaurant Package to include car parking, Premier Enclosure badge, racecard, four-course meal in the Trackside Restaurant, table for the entire day.

For further enquiries please contact sales and marketing at Lingfield Park
Tel: 01342 834800 or 0870 2200022.

Discounts
Book on-line www.lingfield-racecourse.co.uk to receive a £2 discount on badges.
Bookings on-line will be taken up to 48 hrs prior to the date of the race meeting

Facilities and Additional Entertainment for children

Over the past four years, Arena Leisure has spent in excess of £10 million at the Surrey track making huge improvements and changes to facilities for both human and equine patrons. The viewing restaurant is now rated as one of the best racecourse facilities in this country, and is already almost fully booked for this meeting.

All the newly refurbished facilities will be open on the day including:
In the Premier Enclosure enjoy the popular Trackside restaurant catering for 270 customers and sited opposite the winning post with extensive views over the entire track. It is wise to pre-book a table.

Alternatively, the Brasserie with extended conservatory, serving excellent hot and cold buffet style meals with a full bar is a perfect option. There is always a good atmosphere in the Seafood and Champagne bar with patio seating outside.

The Grandstand Enclosure offers an excellent range of bars and food outlets including the Fish and Chip Bar, the Deli Marche serving a wide variety of meals and tasty snacks, and the Trattoria serving fabulous Italian style fayre, which is actually open to patrons of either enclosure.

Clown, face painter and bouncy castle. Shoot for goal - blow up bouncy castle style footy goal score game.

FA Cup final to be shown on dedicated screens around the course and we have two giant screens facing the grandstands one will show all the racing and one to show all the football action.

Roll of Honour

Year Winner SP Jockey Trainer Owner
2005 Kong 9/2 T Quinn J L Dunlop L Neil Jones
2004 Percussionist 11/4 L Dettori J Gosden the late R Sangster
2003 Franklins Gardens 5/1 D Holland M H Tompkins Mrs M Barwell
2002 Bandari 11/4 K Darley M Johnston A Al-Rostamani
2001 Perfect Sunday 11/8F R Hughes B W Hills K Abdulla
2000 Saddler's Quest 10/3F K Darley G A Butler The Fairy Story Partnership
1999 Lucido 3/1 T Quinn J L Dunlop Mrs H Focke
1998 High-Rise 15/8 L Dettori L M Cumani Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
1997 Silver Patriarch 5/4F Pat Eddery J L Dunlop Peter S Winfield
1996 Mystic Knight 4/1 L Dettori R Charlton Lady Oppenheimer
1995 Munwar 5/6F W Carson P T Walwyn Hamdan Al Maktoum
1994 Hawker's News 5/1 W R Swinburn Sir M Stoute Sheikh Mohammed

History of the Lingfield Derby Trial

In its 74-year history the Lingfield Park Derby Trial has cemented its position as the most successful of all the specialist trial races - hardly surprising when you consider that Lingfield's configurations are the closest any Derby horse will experience to the unique undulations of Epsom.

The trial was the brainchild of Fred Wilmot, who was clerk of the course in 1932 and obviously saw the similarities between Lingfield racecourse and its Surrey neighbour. Wilmot could hardly have dreamed of a better start when the first winner that year, April The Fifth, who was owned and trained by actor Tom Walls, stormed home by two lengths from Firdaussi and went on to confirm the form at Epsom, landing the spoils in the Derby by three-quarters of a length with his old Lingfield rival back in fifth.

It took just five years for the trial to produce another dual winner when Mid-day Sun won both races by a length and a half. After a fifteen-year barren spell, Lingfield was back amongst the Derby winners in the shape of the Aga Khan's brilliant colt Tulyar, who won seven out of seven during the 1952 season. He hacked up in the Lingfield Park Derby Trial by an easy two lengths before battling tenaciously to win at Epsom from Gay Tune, who was ridden by a 16-year-old whippersnapper named Lester Piggott.

Following Parthia's win in both races in 1959, the Derby Trial went through something of a barren spell, but there was a huge upturn in fortunes at the start of the 1980s and the race subsequently went through a golden period.

Teenoso stopped the rot in 1983, winning the Derby Trial and the 'big one' by three lengths but his efforts were overshadowed two years later by the great Slip Anchor - surely the best ever winner of this race. Henry Cecil's colt, partnered by the brilliant American Steve Cauthen, astonished the Lingfield crowd when sluicing to victory by 10 lengths and then went on to land the Blue Riband impressively at Epsom by a seven lengths. Only the legendary Shergar has won the Derby by a wider margin in the modern era.

In 1988 Luca Cumani's Khayasi made it three Derby winners in six years for the Lingfield Park Classic Trial, giving the present Aga Khan a Lingfield Derby Trial/Derby double. Cumani clearly appreciated the benefit of giving a Derby hopeful a spin on a very similar circuit as he did exactly the same thing 10 years later with High-Rise, who was made to work really hard for both victories, landing the trial by a neck then scraping home by a head in the Derby.

Last year's Lingfield Park Derby Trial runner-up Walk In The Park also came second in the Epsom Classic..

Down the years the Lingfield Park Derby Trial has been responsible for producing plenty of star performers and looks set to do so for many years to come. Aureole (won the Coronation Cup, Hardwicke Stakes and King George, also second in the Derby), Cacoethes (Derby runner-up), Rock Hopper (multiple Group winner), Bob's Return (St Leger winner) and Silver Patriarch (Derby runner-up and St Leger winner) are just a few of the top-class racehorses who clearly appreciated starting off their three-year-old campaigns at Lingfield Park.