17:20 Lingfield

Tuesday 25 September 2018

All13:3014:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5017:20

Play Blackjack At 188Bet Casino Handicap

Off time: 17:21 | Winning time: 58.75s

(10)

Sandfrankskipsgo³⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 9-7| J: S W Kelly| T: P Crate| OR: 60| CD

16/1

The figures behind his last four C&D (AW) starts read 2,2,3,1; just 1lb higher than when making all (and overcoming a wide draw) to beat Flying Clarets by ½L in July; fully respected despite a tame turf showing latest.

Form: 293146

(7)

Spin Top^p¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-5| J: M Dwyer| T: W R Muir| OR: 58| CD

11/2

Maiden on turf, but 2-17 on the AW, including when a C&D winner off a 5lb lower mark in July (beat Flowing Clarets by almost 3L); twice placed since, and with valid excuses (not ideally positioned) at Kempton latest.

Form: 031330

(5)

Staffa⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: Charles Bishop| T: D J Coakley| OR: 58| CD

11/2

Boasts a 25% AW strike-rate (2-8); 4lb above her last winning mark, but continues to find the frame with a degree of regularity, including when a weakening 1½L third to Look Surprised at Windsor latest (5f, good to firm).

Form: 455-333

(4)

Jan's Joy⁴⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-4| J: S De Sousa| T: S C Williams| OR: 58| D

7/1

Walked to the start at Yarmouth (penultimate) but came home much faster, making all to score by 4L from Princess Keira (5f+ good to firm); not as effective on good to soft next time; races off a stiff looking revised handicap mark now.

Form: 745715

(8)

Midnight Guest^v²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Jane Elliott⁽³⁾| T: G G Margarson| OR: 57| CD

7/2

Made it tenth-time lucky when scooting clear to win by over 2L from Alaskan Bay over C&D earlier this month (Class 7); headgear retained, but slightly more to do off 7lb higher in a stronger race.

Form: 057541

(9)

Copilot¹⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: H Crouch| T: P R Chamings| OR: 57

33/1

Flown well wide of the mark so far, failing to beat a single rival in a couple of starts in handicap company (6f); dropped 5lb collectively prior to her first attempt at the minimum trip; unconvincing.

Form: 56577

(2)

Impart^v²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-2| J: Liam Jones| T: Mrs L J Mongan| OR: 55| D

6/1

Infrequent winner (2-33), and remains an AW maiden (0-11); has shown his traditional early pace on his last couple of starts (6f) before weakening; a drop in trip should help, but his latest placed effort came in a seller.

Form: 285422

(3)

Ask The Guru^b⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 9-1| J: Kieren Fox| T: M J Attwater| OR: 54| CD

20/1

Last held all of the answers when winning (off a similar mark) over this trip at Wolverhampton in February; no issues with this track either (C&D winner), but worryingly has proved out of sorts in each of his last three starts.

Form: 533566

(6)

Prominna³⁸

Age: 8| Weight: 8-13| J: Poppy Bridgwater⁽⁵⁾| T: A W Carroll| OR: 52| CD

6/1

Held on by a short-head to take this race off a 4lb higher mark (from Grand Myla) in 2017; has raced mainly on turf since without any notable further signs of a spark; surprising that it's taken 12 months to return to this track.

Form: 4-04340

Rule 4

Rule 4 applies to all bets - deduction 10p in the pound

Non-Runners

(1)

Strictly Carter²⁵

Weight: 8-13| Age: 5

T: A Bailey J: Harry Burns

Forecasts

Midnight Guest (7/2), Staffa (11/2), Spin Top (11/2), Impart (6/1), Prominna (6/1), Jan's Joy (7/1), Strictly Carter (12/1), Sandfrankskipsgo (16/1), Ask The Guru (20/1), Copilot (33/1)

A low-grade finale in which finding the winner isn't easy. 2017 scorer Prominna returns to Lingfield Park for the first time since, but on the back of some fairly ordinary turf form. The veteran and top-weight Sandfrankskipsgo is always feared over C&D on an artificial surface, and he should relish a return to the AW from a mark which remains feasible. Staffa is a reliable mare (2-8 on the AW), and looks certain to be in the shake up, but MIDNIGHT GUEST gets the nod. She undeniably has more on her plate today in a stronger race after bolting up in a Class 7 C&D handicap latest, but hopefully the retained visor continues to have a galvanising effect.