After last year’s excellent inaugural Winter Million Festival, it returns to Lingfield Park for a second year with a host of big names, exclusively live on Sky Sports Racing.
The three-day meeting saw Love Envoi, Brewin’upastorm, Metier and Two For Gold take big prizes across the cards, but the 2023 meeting looks set to improve even on that, with the notable entry of Grand National hero Noble Yeats.
There’s plenty for fans of the flat style too, with the lucrative £100,000 Winter Oaks on Saturday’s exciting all-weather card.
Don’t forget, Sky Sports Racing is the only place to watch every race of the Winter Million Festival, exclusively live from January 20-22.
Friday
You won’t go too far wrong if the opening winner Winter Million Mares ‘Nice’ Hurdle (1.10) is almost as good as last year’s winner Love Envoi, who won the Cheltenham Festival for the Harry Fry team.
Charlie Deutsch and Venetia Williams had a double on this card last year on a tough surface, and it wouldn’t be a shock if they target the meeting again, with the conditions likely to be testing.
Last year’s Cazoo Hurdle was won by classy Top Ville Ben who managed to run everything and £110,000 Sovereign handicap with hurdles (14.40) another star hurdler took over in the Metier.
Love Envoi ridden by jockey Jonathan Burke (white cap) clears a hurdle to victory in the Winter Million Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle during day one of the Winter Million Festival at Lingfield Park
If the surface is soft, he could target this race again for Team Fry, but as always, it’s likely to be ultra-competitive, with fellow Might I also in the frame.
Gary Moore has described the Winter Million as ‘his Cheltenham Festival’ and has Teddy Blue and Moulins Clermont in a worthy opening-day line-up.
Saturday
Day two focuses on the all-weather track and the highly competitive Flat card, headlined by Class 2 talkSPORT Winter Oaks Fillies Handicap (1.37).
Last year’s winner Lower Street took home more than £50,000 for David Simcock and connections and the trainer returns with recent Southwell winner Aiming High.
Lower Street (pink cap) wins the Winter Oaks at Lingfield on day two of the Winter Million Festival
Al Agaila was an impressive winner at Lingfield in December for Simon and Ed Crisford and could be back in pursuit of a hat-trick.
Such was the success of last year’s meeting with quality and numbers, an additional eighth race was added to the map.
Five stages BetUK Handicap Over 40,000 Live Races (3.22) it should be a frantic sprint to the line and has attracted some old favorites of the division, including Mick Appleby’s Stone Of Destiny and John Quinn’s Lord Riddiford.
Sunday
The second half of the showjumping action kicked off with a superb prize of £40,000 for Winter Million Open National Hunt Flat Race (12.30)won last year by Our Jester who finished a respectable seventh in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham behind Facile Vega.
Another rated contractor took over Winter Million Beginners with Obstacles (1.30) at Ballygrifincottage in 2022, ahead of an exciting £100,000 refurbishment Weatherbys Cheltenham Race Betting Guide (2.30pm).
Noble Yeats on track to win the 2022 Grand National
Only three runners made the line last year, but it provided an exciting finish, with Brewin’upastorm just edged out by Darver Star and Gary Moore’s Goshen, who are expected to feature in this year’s renewal.
Last year’s film £165,000 Fleur De Lys Chase (2.00) saw Two For Gold defeat Dashel Drasher and Bristol De Maio in an epic three-way tie.
However, this year could top that as Grand National hero Noble Yeats has emerged on his way to a possible Gold Cup-Grand National double bid.
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Watch every race of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival exclusively live on Sky Sports Racing from January 20-22.