Lingfield stage a high class card on Saturday.
Pic: ARC/Lingfield

By Simon Jackson

Trainer Geoffrey Oldroyd has high hopes of securing back to back victories in the Listed Compare Bookmakers At bookmakers.co.uk Cleves Stakes with Ladies Are Forever at Lingfield on Saturday.

The six-year-old mare captured last year’s renewal by a length and then set a new five-furlong course record of 56.67s on Polytrack in the Listed Hever Sprint Stakes when returning to the Surrey track in March. 

The daughter of Monsieur Bond remained in good form throughout last season, which was highlighted with a victory Group 3 Summer Stakes at York and a brace of close seventh places in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes and Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye. 

“Ladies Are Forever is definitely going for the Compare Bookmakers At bookmakers.co.uk Cleves Stakes on Saturday,” Oldroyd confirmed. 

“Her preparation has gone nicely and I would say she will probably be fit enough to win, but it will sharpen her up as well. She has strengthened up for the break and is only five and a half really because she was such a late foal. 

“She ran some nice races in those Group 1s last year, not beaten far, and I think she would have been nearer had they been over a bit further. 

“She loves the track at Lingfield and still holds the track record over five furlongs. The idea is to qualify her for Finals Day and she will go back to Lingfield in March for another qualifier and you would be hopeful she would be able to win one of them. 

“I would be quite hopeful on Saturday, but it depends what turns up. It will be interesting to see if Hoof It runs because he is a full-brother to Ladies Are Forever and I don’t think they have ever clashed.”

Read Horse Talk with Simon Jackson each day at London24 for the latest horse racing news.