May 11 / 13.50 Lingfield

13.50

Good

William Hill Epic Value Handicap

  • Prize money: £23193
  • 1m 3f 133y
  • Class 2
  • 7 runners
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William Hill Epic Value Handicap

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Mostly cloudy

OUR TIP

2/1 (Won)

  • Win: £2.25
  • Place: £1.30

Form: /1881- D

Last run: 252 days

W: 9st 9lb

5 yo Colt

OR: 102

Form & Verdict
Held up; had wind/gelding operations prior to reappearance win last June; ran a shocker at the Newmarket July festival but hit a new high when next seen taking a handicap at Beverley (1m4f, good) in September; up 6lb but a player if returns in that top form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

2

7th Jul 2026

Good

1m 7f 168y

Class 4

13:30 Uttoxeter

Aimeric

11st 2lb

J: Lewis Stones

T: Jennie Candlish

He was very smart on the Flat when in his prime but left Karl Burke under a cloud and has yet to get anything going for current yard, on the Flat and in two runs over hurdles; looks on a slippery slope.

7/1

4th

1

28th May 2026

Good

2m 2f 140y

Class 4

18:00 Market Rasen

Aimeric

11st 4lb

J: Sean Quinlan

T: Jennie Candlish

Smart on the Flat at his best but signed off for Karl Burke with two disappointing runs in the autumn and was rather hesitant at some of the flights when disappointing favourite on last month's stable/hurdle debut; subsequently tailed off in major Flat handicap; may yet get his act together over hurdles but he is very tricky to weigh up at the moment.

15/8

15th

1

(13)

8th May 2026

Good

2m 2f 140y

Class 2

15:05 Chester

Aimeric

9st 12lb

J: Darragh Keenan

T: Jennie Candlish

Won sole start here, a 2022 maiden; smart at 1m3f-1m6f for Roger Varian and Karl Burke but reappearance was easily the best of three runs last year and, after a 21,000gns sale in November, well beaten at 11-10 for hurdles/yard debut two weeks ago; that's not the most promising stepping stone to this.

50/1

4/1

  • Place: £1.50

Form: 12825- D

Last run: 226 days

W: 8st 9lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 88

Form & Verdict
Won his first two handicaps and mostly progressive afterwards once the cheekpieces went on, but too free on final outing; major player if straight back to his best form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

1

(2)

4th Oct 2024

Heavy

1m 7f 209y

Class 3

14:47 Ascot

True Legend

10st 4lb

J: Luke Morris

T: Sir Mark Prescott Bt

steadied start, held up in rear, steady headway from 4f out, waiting for room home turn, outpaced over 1f out, stayed on inside final furlong, went second inside final 110yds

9/2

9th

4

(2)

3rd Aug 2024

Good To Firm

1m 6f 0y

Class 2

14:25 Goodwood

True Legend

9st 3lb

J: Luke Morris

T: Sir Mark Prescott Bt

Unraced on soft; can race freely but has run well at 1m6f and 2m this season; strong late bid when short-headed by Tides Of War over C&D in May, followed by fifth of 20 in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle (2m, AW) and close third last Friday at Ascot (2m); usual cheekpieces (absent for last three starts) are back; a leading contender.

8/1

3rd

1

(8)

26th Jul 2024

Good To Firm

1m 7f 209y

Class 3

14:25 Ascot

True Legend

10st 4lb

J: Shane Kelly

T: Sir Mark Prescott Bt

Mostly progressive; can race freely but he made a strong late bid when short-headed over 1m6f at Goodwood on penultimate outing and ran on from out the back (slowly away after blindfold was removed late) when fifth of 20 in the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle (AW) last time on step up to 2m; usual cheekpieces were removed for those last two outings; 2m now looks worth pursuing and it would not be a great surprise if improvement is resumed.

7/2

7/1

Form: /3158-

Last run: 240 days

W: 9st 9lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 102

Form & Verdict
Won two of first three starts, before fading into a respectable fifth in the 1m4f German Derby; tailed off in handicap in September (1m2f, soft) on sole start since and needs overall improvement, but he is lightly raced.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

1

(1)

29th Sep 2024

Heavy

1m 2f 17y

Class 3

16:05 Epsom

If Not Now

10st 1lb

J: Rossa Ryan

T: Ralph Beckett

His wins have come on good to soft (unproven on soft/heavy); dropping down the weights and the drop back in trip could help, but he was beaten a long way the last twice and needs to turn things around in first-time blinkers.

9/1

11th

5

(10)

7th Sep 2024

Good To Soft

1m 6f 1y

Class 2

14:25 Haydock

If Not Now

9st 6lb

J: Rossa Ryan

T: Ralph Beckett

Lightly raced 4yo; tailed off on final start last term (his only run on soft) but third of six at Lingfield (11.6f, good) on reappearance this May was career-best form; 3lb lower today, following a poor show at Epsom (good to soft) on Derby Day; mixed messages there and not certain to get 1m6f.

11/1

Form: 550-95 D

Last run: 92 days

W: 9st 4lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 97

Form & Verdict
Effective at 1m4f-1m6f; seven-month absence before well beaten twice at Meydan early this year; has slipped to a good mark and would have a major shout on form as recent as June 2023.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

2

(3)

26th Jul 2024

Good To Firm

1m 7f 209y

Class 3

14:25 Ascot

Global Heat

10st 2lb

J: Hayley Turner

T: Saeed bin Suroor

1m6f Listed winner at Meydan in January 2023; short of his best in 2024, however, and others are preferred despite his major fall in the weights; did not persuade for stamina on his three attempts at 2m+ (2021).

16/1

5th

1

(2)

4th Jul 2024

Standard To Slow

1m 3f 219y

Class 3

19:35 Kempton (AW)

Global Heat

9st 11lb

J: Hayley Turner

T: Saeed bin Suroor

prominent

16/1

5th

1

(10)

5th Jun 2024

Standard To Slow

1m 3f 219y

Class 3

20:15 Kempton (AW)

Global Heat

9st 9lb

J: Kevin Stott

T: Saeed bin Suroor

Effective at 1m4f-1m6f; thrown in on form up to last June but tailed off at Royal Ascot and, after seven months off, below form in his three races this year; Lingfield fourth of six last month was not sufficiently encouraging and this is his first AW race for over two years.

10/1

Form: 7473-0

Last run: 21 days

W: 9st 10lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 103

Form & Verdict
Very useful (1m4f-1m6f) last year for Aidan O'Brien and made 100,000gns in September; won hurdles debut in February but weakened right out of it three weeks later and tailed off in a Group 3 (125-1) when returned to Flat three weeks ago; has first-time headgear in revival bid for handicap debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

9

(3)

1st May 2026

Good

1m 6f 0y

Class 4

17:35 Goodwood

Peking Opera

8st 13lb

J: Rhys Clutterbuck

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Listed Flat winner for Aidan O'Brien and initially looked a good prospect for hurdling; however, has struggled badly under both codes since returning from an absence.

33/1

7th

1

(2)

17th Apr 2026

Good To Firm

2m 1f 24y

Class 5

16:15 Bath

Peking Opera

9st 9lb

J: Tom Queally

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Listed Flat winner for Aidan O'Brien; made a successful hurdle debut for this yard in early 2024 but it's been a struggle since then under both codes; has dropped a long way in the weights but he's hard to trust at the moment and others are preferred.

10/1

4th

2

27th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 5f 164y

Class 5

15:00 Fontwell

Peking Opera

11st 12lb

J: Jude Fernandes

T: Gary & Josh Moore

Listed Flat winner for Aidan O'Brien; made a successful hurdle debut for this yard in early 2024 but it's been a struggle since then under both codes and he's tough to trust at the minute.

12/1

Form: 32-570 D

Last run: 43 days

W: 9st 4lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 97

Form & Verdict
5-19 on AW, compared to 0-2 (modest form in spring 2022) on turf; two of his wins were on the AW track here and he's thrown in judged on best AW ratings, including penultimate start.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

12th

9

(6)

13th Jul 2024

Soft

1m 3f 211y

Class 2

16:07 Ascot

Base Note

9st 4lb

J: Kevin Stott

T: Simon & Ed Crisford

5-19 on AW, compared to 0-3 on turf; thrown in judged on best AW ratings, including from three starts back, but he's not beaten a rival in those three runs on turf, including last time out.

40/1

6th

6

(3)

11th May 2024

Good

1m 3f 133y

Class 2

13:50 Lingfield

Base Note

9st 4lb

J: Harry Davies

T: Simon & Ed Crisford

5-19 on AW, compared to 0-2 (modest form in spring 2022) on turf; two of his wins were on the AW track here and he's thrown in judged on best AW ratings, including penultimate start.

14/1

6th

6

(3)

11th May 2024

Good

1m 3f 133y

Class 2

13:50 Lingfield

Base Note

9st 4lb

J: Harry Davies

T: Simon & Ed Crisford

5-19 on AW, compared to 0-2 (modest form in spring 2022) on turf; two of his wins were on the AW track here and he's thrown in judged on best AW ratings, including penultimate start.

14/1

Form: 11127- D BF

Last run: 209 days

W: 9st 13lb

6 yo Mare

OR: 106

Form & Verdict
Formerly trained in Germany and has won five of her 16 races, including a hat-trick (one Listed race and two Group 3s) over 1m2f-1m4f in Germany/Italy last May-July; sold for 200,000euros last December; needs to resume in peak form in this handicap but stable is among the winners.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

4

(5)

4th Nov 2024

Standard To Slow

1m 3f 219y

Class 1

14:20 Kempton (AW)

Kolossal

9st 2lb

J: William Carver

T: Jamie Osborne

led, headed over 2f out, soon weakened

14/1

6th

4

(5)

4th Nov 2024

Standard To Slow

1m 3f 219y

Class 1

14:20 Kempton (AW)

Kolossal

9st 2lb

J: William Carver

T: Jamie Osborne

led, headed over 2f out, soon weakened

14/1

7th

1

(6)

22nd Oct 2024

Standard

1m 4f 99y

Class 2

16:15 Newcastle (AW)

Kolossal

10st 2lb

J: William Carver

T: Jamie Osborne

Dual Group 3 winner from the front in Germany in summer 2023; ran well for a long way at this year's Royal Ascot before a lesser effort in Group 2 company not long afterwards, and makes her AW debut back from a break; can do better.

8/1

Non-runners

Track Of Time, Flash Bardot

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £4.70
Straight Forecast £4.43
Tricast £9.49
Trifecta £13.80

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Aimeric

POSTDATA:

Flash Bardot

D Express:

If Not Now

TOPSPEED:

True Legend

Daily Mail:

Flash Bardot

Daily Mirror:

Flash Bardot

Daily Record:

Flash Bardot

RP RATINGS:

Aimeric

NEWMARKET:

Aimeric

The Times:

Aimeric

Telegraph:

Aimeric

The Guardian:

Aimeric

The Sun:

Aimeric

The Star:

Aimeric