Winter Million Festival: All you need to know about Lingfield’s valuable three-day meeting all live only on Sky Sports Racing | Racing News

After last year’s excellent inaugural Winter Million Festival, it’s back for a second year at Lingfield Park with plenty of big names lining up, exclusively live on Sky Sports Racing.

The three-day meeting saw Love Envoi, Brewin’upastorm, Metier and Two For Gold claim big prizes across the cards, but the 2023 meeting looks to have improved even on that, with the notable entry of Grand National hero Noble Yeats.

There’s plenty for flat fans as well, with the lucrative £100,000 Winter Oaks the feature on a cracking Saturday card on the all-weather.

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 winner of the opening Winter Million Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (1.10) is anywhere near as good as last year’s winner Love Envoi, who went on to win at the Cheltenham Festival for the Harry Fry team.

Charlie Deutsch and Venetia Williams had a double on this card last year in the heavy ground, and it wouldn’t be a shock if they again target the meeting, with the conditions likely to be testing.

Last year’s Cazoo Hurdle was won by the classy Top Ville Ben who made all the running, and the £110,000 Sovereign Handicap Hurdle (2.40pm) was taken by another star hurdler in Metier.

If the ground came up soft, he could well target this race again for the Fry team, but as ever it is likely to be ultra-competitive, with stablemate 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 the valuable feature on the opening day.

Saturday

Day two sees the focus switch to the all-weather track and a highly competitive Flat card, headlined by the Class 2 talkSPORT Winter Oaks Fillies’ Handicap (1.37).

Last year’s winner Lower Street took home over £50,000 for David Simcock and connections and the trainer returns with recent Southwell winner Aiming High.

Al Agaila was an impressive winner at Lingfield in December for Simon and Ed Crisford and could come back in search of a hat-trick.

Such was the success of last year’s meeting with quality and numbers, an extra eighth race has been added to the card.

The five-furlong BetUK Over 40,000 Live Streamed Races Handicap (3.22) should be a frantic sprint to the line and it has attracted some old favourites of that division, including Mick Appleby’s Stone Of Destiny and John Quinn’s Lord Riddiford.

Sunday

The second half of the jumping action is kick-started with an excellent £40,000 prize for the Winter Million Open National Hunt Flat Race (12.30), won last year by Our Jester who finished a decent seventh in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham behind Facile Vega.

Another graded performer took the Winter Million Novices’ Hurdle (1.30) in Ballygrifincottage in 2022, before a gripping renewal of the £100,000 Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle (2.30pm).

Only three runners lined up last year but it provided a stirring finish, with Brewin’upastorm just getting the better of Darver Star and Gary Moore’s Goshen, who is expected to line up in this year’s renewal.

Last year’s feature £165,000 Fleur De Lys Chase (2.00) saw Two For Gold defeat Dashel Drasher and Bristol De Mai in an epic three-way finish.

Yet, this year could top that still as Grand National hero Noble Yeats turns up en route to a possible Gold Cup-Grand National double bid.

Full racecards | Latest Sky Bet odds

Watch every race of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival all exclusively live on Sky Sports Racing from January 20-22.