13:45 Lingfield

Saturday 2 February 2019

All12:3513:1013:4514:2014:5515:3016:05

Betway Cleves Stakes (Listed)

Off time: 14:10 | Winning time: 1m 8.32s

(3)

Cenotaph²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 9-0| J: R L Moore| T: J Noseda| OR: 107| BF| D

4/1

Ex-Aidan O'Brien; landed the hat-trick when winning the Chelmsford City Cup (7f, Class 2 Handicap) in September; beaten narrowly at odds-on in a couple of 6f Conditions events since; impossible to knock his record for Jeremy Noseda (1,1,1,2,2).

Form: 3/1112-2

(7)

Corinthia Knight²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Edward Greatrex| T: A Watson| OR: 108| CD

20/1

Exceptional strike-rate on the AW (8-14); winner of the 3yo AW Championships Conditions Stakes over C&D on Good Friday 2018; has endured a few bumps in the road this season after a promising start; 3-4 at Lingfield Park.

Form: 23618-5

(8)

Kachy³⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 9-0| J: R Kingscote| T: Tom Dascombe| OR: 112| CD

10/11

3-4 on the AW, including when gamely fending off Kimberella by a short-head in this race in 2018; back from a short break (and wind surgery) when frankly demolishing the opposition (made all) at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day; solid.

Form: 213951-

(2)

Lancelot Du Lac^h¹⁴⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 9-0| J: A Kirby| T: D K Ivory| OR: 99| CD

14/1

50% AW strike-rate (9-18); beat Mythmaker by a nose in this race in 2017 (a year in which he also won the Stewards Cup), unable to reach the leaders behind Kachy (sixth) in 2018 and follows the same route into the race in 2019 (via the Portland).

Form: 415000-

(9)

Mokarris⁶⁴⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: R Havlin| T: S & E Crisford| OR: 100| DWS

17/2

Talented juvenile in 2016 - winner of the 6f Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury, and a 3L runner-up in the Gimcrack at York; off the track since May 2017 (640-days); makes his AW debut following wind surgery.

Form: 101268/

(1)

Roman River²²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: G Mosse| T: Martin Smith| OR: 90| BF

40/1

Runner-up on his sole AW start (6f Chelmsford maiden); progressed once introduced to handicap company winning at Haydock (5f) in June; faces a very tough task on these terms, especially off a 227-day break.

Form: 20/2414-

(4)

Sir Thomas Gresham⁷⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: M Dwyer| T: Tim Pinfield| OR: 100| D

16/1

54,000gns foal; late developer who has really blossomed since winning a 6f Windsor maiden (soft) on debut in October; respectable third to Breathless Times over 7f here on AW debut (Conditions Stakes) in November; this opposition is far tougher.

Form: 113-

(6)

Stone Of Destiny¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Oisin Murphy| T: A M Balding| OR: 102| D

14/1

2-4 on the AW, including when runner-up to Corinthia Knight in a 5f FTQ at Newcastle in February 2018; finished fourth in the 2018 Commonwealth Cup; should strip fitter for his comeback run at Newcastle latest (close third to Encore D'Or).

Form: 74776-3

(5)

Gorgeous Noora¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 8-9| J: Hollie Doyle| T: A Watson| OR: 98| CD

8/1

Joined Archie Watson for 200,000gns in December and readily dispatched Tuesday's Class 2 Wolverhampton winner Shamson by 3L over C&D (7/4f) latest; considerably more required at the weights but firmly on the up and worthy of respect.

Form: 1245-31

Forecasts

Kachy (10/11), Cenotaph (4/1), Gorgeous Noora (8/1), Mokarris (17/2), Stone Of Destiny (14/1), Lancelot Du Lac (14/1), Sir Thomas Gresham (16/1), Corinthia Knight (20/1), Roman River (40/1)

A crackerjack of a Cleves Stakes with 2017 winner Lancelot Du Lac featuring along with 2018 winner KACHY who returned to the track post wind surgery with a truly explosive performance (on the clock) at Wolverhampton on Boxing Day. Furthermore, if you add into the mix Cenotaph (3-5 for Jeremy Noseda), Corinthia Knight (3-4 at Lingfield Park) and the once classy juvenile Mokarris (AW debut) the abundance of quality in the field is evident. For those seeking an alternative each-way selection against the likely strong favourite Kachy, it's also worth bearing in mind the improving mare Gorgeous Noora.