Autocracy Stepping Up in Grade Tomorrow

Autocracy makes his eighth start of the year for us at on the turf at Lingfield tomorrow afternoon (Friday 21st September) in the 3.50. He will be ridden by Silvestre De Sousa in the five furlong contest. The race is a slightly higher class than he has been contesting and it will be interesting to see how he gets on. He put together a sequence of placed efforts after winning on the polytrack at Lingfield in the middle of summer. Autocracy then didn’t handled rain softened going at Bath before hitting his head in the stalls on his most recent start at Brighton. It’s been a month since that race and he has worked nicely in between after being given an easy time for a week or so after that last race. Autocracy always shows a lot of speed at home and should handle the rise in grade. He needs to come through horses and needs a bit of cover as he begins to wander around and lose concentration once he is in front – so a bit of luck in running is always required. He is drawn low which is generally disadvantageous on the straight course at Lingfield but matters less on a horse like him as he can just cut across in behind and hopefully work his way through the field!

The race is open with no obvious standout. Commanding Presence is well drawn, has good course form and if she can put a poor run in a much tougher race behind her should be a contendor, Whitecrest seems to have made a habit of finishing second this year but her last win did come over course and distance a year ago and she is well weighted. Magical Speedfit drops to the lowest grade he has been in for a while and could be a danger although its two years since he last won. There are several three year olds in the race who could improve, always a possibility with a sprinter at this time of the season. None of them look an obvious improver however.