4.15 Lingfield: Class 5 Handicap, 6f

Princess Shabnam was perhaps a little bit too keen at Chelmsford when last seen, but still ran a big race for 3rd place, only a 1¼L beaten in the end.

She may get the opportunity to dominate today again – if she can overcome the #7 draw once again. That’s often a significant advantage at this track.

After that recent Chelmsford performance she’s now down to a mark of 75 and drops in class – for the first time into a class 5 Handicap.

Headgear is off today also, that’s intriguing, given four of her five career wins came without any headgear, and she clearly remains with appetite for the game, judged by her recent runs.

Her Southwell performance in October caught the eye in no uncertain way: she went right to the front and set way too hot early fractions. It wasn’t a surprise to see her fade away eventually but it was a strong run, nonetheless, confirming the excellent form the mare produced over the last weeks and months.

Especially her Kempton 2nd place in September counts as seriously strong form, given the way she held on for so long, with the winner ridden with a lot more patience, as she achieved a 80 speed rating also that day – close to her career-best on the sand.

The yard isn’t in great form, though, but the runners tend to perform better than expectation at this track. Others see more money this morning in the betting, so Princess Shabnam drifted out from early 9/2 to 6s+ readily available.

10pts win – Princess Shabnam @ 6/1