Sutter County (pictured on the left) could aim to make it third time lucky in the £19,000 Smarter Bets With Matchbook Betting Exchange Conditions Stakes (3.40pm, nine entries) at Kempton Park on Tuesday, January 17. The six-furlong Polytrack contest is a Fast-Track Qualifier for the £150,000 32Red All-Weather Three-Year-Old Championships Conditions Stakes over the same distance and surface at Lingfield Park on the All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, April 14. Sutter County has already placed in two Fast-Track Qualifiers, having gone down by a neck to Kananee over six furlongs at Newcastle in November and finished a close third behind Dubai One in a five-furlong event at Wolverhampton in December. His trainer Mark Johnston has also entered Poet's Society and Chupalla, who were second and fourth respectively behind Visionary (Robert Cowell) in a Tapeta conditions race over five furlongs at Wolverhampton on January 7. Second Thought (William Haggas) was also successful at Wolverhampton on his latest outing, readily taking a six-furlong maiden on December 16, while Munro (Ralph Beckett) may seek a hat-trick of All-Weather wins following victories at Kempton Park and Lingfield Park. Just An Idea (Harry Dunlop) powered to a convincing four-length success in a six-furlong maiden on his All-Weather debut at Lingfield Park on January 9, having acquitted himself well with some good turf efforts. The Lilbourne Lad colt was eighth in the five-furlong Listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and came home third behind subsequent G1 winner The Last Lion in the Listed Dragon Stakes over the same trip at Sandown Park in July. Lambourn-based Dunlop commented today: "This looks like it will be a hot race but we thought that it would be fun to try and have a go with Just An Idea. "He won very easily the other day - he didn't have a hard race and seems to be in good form at the moment. He didn't beat a great deal but did it in a good manner. "We aimed quite high with him last season, so it was good to get a win into him. We have always liked him and, while he will be coming up against some progressive horses, his form is good. "We were thinking about taking him out to Dubai or aim for the All-Weather Championships but I think we will stay here now as there are very few races for three-year-olds at Meydan." Tomily (Richard Hannon), a Listed runner-up on turf at Doncaster in November, and recent Newcastle handicap winner Letmestopyouthere (David Evans) complete the entries.
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