The Winter Million Festival offers over £1 million in prize money, with feature races on each day worth at least £100,000; the Fleur Du Lys Chase on Sunday is worth £150,000 with Grade One horses expected to line up at Lingfield
Friday 21 January 2022 13:20, UK
Trainer Gary Moore has hailed the introduction of the new Winter Million Festival at Lingfield Park, a three-day meeting that gets under way this afternoon on Sky Sports Racing.
The prize money across the three-day racing bonanza - with two jumping cards and a flat card on Saturday - totals over £1 million, providing a much-needed boost to both the National Hunt and All-Weather calendars.
It is an idea that has impressed Sussex trainer Gary Moore, who often targets the track with several of his promising hurdlers and chasers.
"I think it is a fantastic idea and it's like mini-Surrey Festival and just outside of London so fans don't have to travel all the way to Cheltenham," Moore said.
"As we know the ground can dry out at Cheltenham and they can race on quicker ground in March.
"It's beautiful soft ground and proper jumping ground at Lingfield - it gives a chance to the real soft ground horses to excel and the prize money on offer is good.
"If I could run all my horses over fences at Lingfield then I would but it never works out like that, the only unfortunate thing is that they don't race on the Jumps course there that often.
"For me, it is probably the fairest chase track in the country as all the fences are beautifully presented and you are never racing downhill at one.
"It's just a very fair track and the fences are inviting with plenty of space between them."
One of his stable stars, Goshen, looks set to return to action in the Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle, looking to get his head back in front for the first time since February 2021.
The six-year-old gelding has proved difficult to place since his dramatic exit at the final hurdle in the 2020 Triumph Hurdle when seemingly having the race at his mercy.
"The only thing for him is that it's the wrong way round but he's getting his ground for a change," he added.
"He's been crying out for this ground all year and the step up in trip shouldn't be a problem to him. He's been in good order at home, and I am looking forward to seeing him."
Watch every race at the Lingfield Winter Million Festival, live on Sky Sports Racing from January 21-23.
