For Betway Winter Derby facts and figures, click here.
Group 1 stars Lord North and Alenquer begin their 2022 campaigns in the £110,000 G3 Betway Winter Derby (2.05pm) at Lingfield Park on Saturday, February 26.
The 10-furlong contest is one of the highlights of the All-Weather Championships and the last of four Fast-Track Qualifiers for the £200,000 Betway Easter Classic.
Lord North is the highest-rated runner in Betway Winter Derby history with an official rating of 123 and returns to the track for the first time since a comprehensive victory in the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan last March.
Betway’s even-money favourite is out to continue the fine race record of his joint-trainer John Gosden, who has won the last three editions of the Betway Winter Derby with Wissahickon, Dubai Warrior and Forest Of Dean.
Gosden and his son Thady also saddle last year’s victor Forest Of Dean, with the six-year-old attempting to become the first two-time winner of the Betway Winter Derby.
All-Weather debutant Alenquer captured the G2 King Edward VII Stakes last season and went on to be placed at G1 level on two occasions for William Haggas, most notably when second to Mishriff in the Juddmonte International.
Fancy Man has match practice on his side after making it two wins from as many starts at the track with a taking performance in the Listed Betway Winter Derby Trial on February 5.
Richard Hannon’s charge is aiming to become the fifth horse to double up in both races, following Parasol (2003), Eccentric (2005), Grendisar (2016) and Wissahickon (2019).
Jockey Sean Levey said: “Fancy Man has come out of the trial well. I am told he did a good piece of work while I was away in Qatar last week and then I had a nice breeze on him the other day.
“I thought he was impressive in the trial, more so because last year we thought he was going to be a very nice horse but he was found wanting at the backend of a lot of his races. He was not finding that turn of foot in the closing stages whereas in the trial he put in some very good fractions for the final three furlongs.
“Ordinarily, I thought we would be going into the Winter Derby with a favourite’s chance but we have 6lb to find with Alenquer and a further 8lb with Lord North. Even though our horse has improved from the trial, it is going to be very difficult.
“I would like to think that Fancy Man could potentially be better than a G3 horse. The calendar holds plenty of nice races where he won’t be running into the likes of Lord North and this race should help us determine his level going forward.”
The Betway Winter Derby Trial form is also represented by runner-up King Of The South for William Knight and Archie Watson’s Al Zaraqaan, who was the beaten favourite in fourth.
Course scorer Pistoletto and the well-bred Barn Owl, a son of Frankel out of G1 winner Thistle Bird, complete the eight runners for John Ryan and Gary Moore respectively.
