However, his overall performance must be considered a shade disappointing, and unlikely to help convince connections to send him two furlongs further in the Investec Derby at Epsom, on June 2, writes Elliot Slater.

Many observers on the Knavesmire felt that the George Strawbridge-owned colt had run the typical race of a non-stayer, moving in behind the leaders a furlong-and-a-half from home, before fizzling out inside the last 200 yards, and apparently running on empty, as he crossed the line nearly five lengths adrift of the Andrew Balding-trained winner.

The winner of last season’s listed Washington Singer Stakes at Newbury over seven furlongs had gone on to run a fine race, when third to the mighty Camelot in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, at the end of the term, leaving the impression that he might develop into a genuine middle-distance prospect this term.

Making his seasonal reappearance in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, at the start of the month, the son of Street Cry came with a challenge two furlongs from home, but could not quicken with the principles. He eventually finished a creditable sixth of the 18 runners, behind Camelot.

His York run, however, suggests that, at this stage of his career, 10 furlongs is plenty far enough, and that the extra quarter-mile at Epsom might be beyond his compass.

Many firms took Fencing out their ante-post list for the Derby, following his York effort, whilst those that remain appear divided on his chances, with some going no bigger than 20/1 in the Epsom Derby betting odds, and others offering as big as 50/1 in places.

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The change of plan leaves trainers who were anticipating running their charges in the key trial for Derby run at Epsom during the Betfair Epsom Derby Festival on June 2, with something of a quandary. With many having tailored training schedules to take in the Lingfield contest and leave a perfect three week gap to the big race itself they will be loathe to miss out on getting a run into their horses, but the prospect of competing on the Polytrack will certainly throw something of a spanner into the works for many who feel their chances might be compromised by the change of conditions.

The original Lingfield card, which also includes the Oaks Trial, was to include five turf contests and two all-weather races, but clerk of the course Neil Mackenzie Ross has been forced to sanction the switch rather than abandon the track’s premier fixture of the season.

Amongst the potential contenders in the horse racing betting  for the mile-and-a-half contest both Ed De Gas and Main Sequence are unbeaten in all three career outings respectively, the former having won at both Lingfield and Wolverhampton on Polytrack before hacking up on turf at Catterick last month. David Lanigan’s Main Sequence has impressed in two handicap wins at Newmarket, most recently at the Craven meeting where he stayed on strongly over a mile-and-a-quarter.

Other entries for the Lingfield contest include the Epsom Derby Trial winner Goldoni, the promising Marcus Tregoning-trained Cavailero, Richard Hannon’s Tattersalls Millions winner Rougemont, and the John Gosden-trained pair of Shantaram and Thought Worthy.

The daughter of Marju was fancied, in the racing betting tips, to give a good account of herself on her first crack at a mile, having last term showed a great attitude and unflappable nature in winning three of her five starts and placing in smart company on the other two occasions.

But at Newmarket, Lyon’s pride and joy was very much on her toes in the parade ring, before going down to the start for the first fillies’ classic of the season. She got rather ‘stewed up’ because of the half hour delay at the starting stalls, caused by the tragic loss of Gray Pearl.

In the race itself, Johnny Murtagh’s mount travelled close to the pace until coming under pressure two furlongs from home, as she went in vain pursuit of the shock pillar-to-post winner, Homecoming Queen, after which, she was eased, when beaten by the Irish champion jockey.

The initial impression was that Lightening Pearl had simply failed to stay the mile, but Lyons is not so quick to jump to that conclusion, preferring to keep an open mind, as he waits to see how his stable star recovers from her exertions.

He will then decide if she should be trained to tackle the Irish 1000 Guineas next, or drop back to sprint distances, with a crack at the July Cup amongst a host of potential targets. It remains to be seen whether she will rank highly in the horse racing betting tips.

The son of Rainbow Quest could develop into a top stayer, this term, and prove a danger to the likes of defending champion, Fame And Glory, in the Ascot Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in June, writes Elliot Slater.

Racing on an all-weather surface for the first time in his career, as a result of the race having been rerouted to Kempton from its original home of Ascot, following the waterlogging and subsequent abandonment of racing at the Berkshire venue, Frankie Dettori’s mount was patiently ridden in the two-mile contest.

He then emerged as a massive danger, when scything through the field at the two furlong from home marker. Bet on horse racing at www.betvictor.com.

Soon mastering the well backed Thimaar, the four-year-old then had to dig deep to fend off the Melbourne Cup runner-up, Red Cadeaux, but proved more than up to the task, as he powered away inside the final furlong to score by a length-and-a-half in a new course record time.

Winning trainer, Saeed bin Suroor, had reportedly been concerned that Colour Vision might still need the run, so there seems every chance that there is further improvement to come from the horse.

He ran well, when a close third in last season’s Cesarewitch Handicap, before finishing a fine third to Fame And Glory in the Group 3 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot, in October.

Previously a 20/1 shot in the ante-post lists for the Gold Cup, the Kempton winner is now a top-priced 8/1 shot for the blue riband staying contest, and might have one more outing prior to the big day, on June 21.

Take a punt at a big payout, this spring, with online betting on horse racing on www.betvictor.com.

Currently offered at a best price of 20/1 in the ante-post list for the blue riband mile-and-a-half contest at the unique Surrey track, punters with an interest in Epson derby betting will be hoping to see the son of Manduro perform well around the sharp Chester circuit where horses who prove well balanced enough to do themselves justice often go on to run well at Epsom.

Certainly Bonfire did very little wrong in his two outings as a juvenile having made a fine start by winning a Salisbury maiden in late-September by a couple of lengths from Cubanita, who duly went on to justify favouritism in her only subsequent outing in a Nottingham maiden. Balding however was well aware he had a potentially smart performer on his hands and immediately stepped Bonfire up to Group 1 company, sending him across the Channel to France in late-October where he was faced with quality opposition in the Grand Criterium de Saint Cloud over a mile on testing ground.

In a race run at a typically steady pace for French pattern contests Bonfire was held up at the rear of the 11-runner field, and after struggling to find a gap at a crucial stage of the contest he came through strongly in the final furlong to finish a length-and-three-quarters third to this season’s subsequently impressive winner French Fifteen. With the form of his French outing having already been stamped Balding’s colt is expected to go well at Chester, and hopes are high he will prove good enough to take his chance at Epsom on the first Saturday in June.

The pre-cursor to the derby is the 10meeting at Newmarket, where the 1000 Guineas Betting markets are already hotting up.

Owned by Sheikh Ahmed al Makhtoum, Nahrain only made her debut at Windsor last May where she comfortably landed a mile maiden before following up in handicap company at Haydock on only her second outing, routing the opposition by five lengths off a mark of 87.

Quickly raised to a new figure of 102, Varian’s filly then completed her hattrick and kept her unbeaten record intact when justifying her Betfair odds-on market position to beat Primevere by a length-and-a-quarter in the listed Coral Distaff at Sandown in July before being given a three month mid-season break.

Varian certainly knew that his charge had progressed for the break and took the bold decision to throw her into Group 1 company at Longchamp on Arc day in early October, stepping Nahrain up to 10 furlongs for the first time in the Prix de l’Opera, where she duly put up a tremendous performance to prevail by a nose from Announce to land the valuable and prestigious contest.

Sent to Churchill Downs for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf for her final outing of the season in November, the Darley bred filly again put up a great display going down with all guns blazing in failing by just three-quarters-of-a-length to beat Perfect Shirl. Her Betfair Epsom Derby odds  have gone in sharply thanks to expectant punters. Reported to be taking a while to reach peak fitness this term Nahrain will be prepared for a summer campaign with Royal Ascot surely on the list of possible starting points for a potential star of the 2012 season.

In a truly dramatic contest Neptunes Collonges, (who connections had confirmed before the big event would be running the last race of his career before being granted an honourable retirement), raced in midfield for much of the way, managing to avoid the plethora of fallers and brought down horses around him, under a fine ride from Daryl Jacob. Going to the final fence the 11-year-old was still in fifth place but he began to really stay on strongly on the run to the elbow, although second appeared the best he could hope for as Sunnyhillboy went clear. But conjuring a truly outstanding turn of foot at the end of such a long race, the son of Dom Alco reduced the deficit all the way and joined the leader right on the line, the pair passing the post as one.

The photo finish result seemed to take forever, but in the end it was Hales’s star who prevailed by a nose at best racing odds  of 33/1, the shortest winning distance in the 173 years of the great event, to go out in a truly sensational blaze of glory and guarantee the trainers’ championship for Nicholls.

The Pearl Bloodstock-owned filly proved herself a very smart juvenile last term winning three of her five outings, and racing under the banner of the company who sponsor the Newmarket classics it was always going to be likely that she would be targeted for the Rowley Mile event if she trained on and pleased connections, so a bold show at Leopardstown would certainly be well received in many quarters.

After running second on her racecourse bow at Navan last term Lightening Pearly got off the mark in a Roscommon maiden before stepping up to run a fine third behind Maybe in the Group 2 Keeneland debutante Stakes at the Curragh in August over seven furlongs. Dropped back a furlong three weeks later the daughter of Marju slammed Experience by an impressive five-lengths in the Group 3 Go And Go Round Tower Stakes back at the Curragh before rounding off the term with a tremendously gutsy display in landing the Group 1 Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in October where she held Sunday Times by half-a-length under Johnny Murtagh to give her handler the biggest success of his career.

Bookmakers currently rate Lightening Pearl a general 20/1 shot in the horse racing betting  to return in triumph to the Rowley Mile in May, whilst she also holds entries in the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh three weeks later. First things first though, punters who Bet on racing  will be keeping a close eye on Lyons’ filly at Leopardstown to see if she has indeed trained on and rates a force to be reckoned with this campaign.