20:05 Lingfield

Tuesday 25 May 2021

All17:3518:0518:3519:0519:3520:0520:35

Sky Sports Racing HD Virgin 535 Handicap

Off time: 20:07 | Winning time: 3m 23.37s

(4)

General Zoff¹²

Age: 6| Weight: 9-8| J: Tom Marquand| T: W Muir & C Grassick| OR: 70| CD

6/4

Dual C&D winner, the latest in April. Good third of 11 in handicap (12/1) at York (16.2f, good) 12 days ago, racing closer to pace than ideal. Shortlist material.

Form: 8336-13

(1)

London Eye⁵⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-8| J: S De Sousa| T: C A Dwyer| OR: 70| D

9/4

Two wins from 6 runs this year. Didn't need to improve to win 11-runner handicap (5/2) at Redcar (16f, good to firm) 50 days ago, responding well. 3 lb rise fair and should give it a good shot.

Form: 963411

(3)

Justified²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-6| J: F Norton| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 69

9/2

9/4, didn't need to improve to win 6-runner handicap at Chelmsford City (14f) 27 days ago, holding on gamely. Nudged up just 2 lb, but this is a more competitive race.

Form: 2357-31

(6)

Pledge Of Peace^p¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-4| J: L Morris| T: Mrs L J Mongan| OR: 67

16/1

Last of 14 in handicap at Newbury (12f, good to soft, 66/1) 11 days ago. Good second here on penultimate start, but this maiden needs to pull out more now upped in trip.

Form: 27-6620

(7)

Cold Harbour^t²¹

Age: 6| Weight: 8-9| J: Darragh Keenan| T: R Brisland| OR: 57| C

18/1

Course winner. Latest win at Southwell in April. Eighth of 10 in handicap at Wolverhampton (14f, 9/1) 21 days ago. Others make more appeal.

Form: 055018

(5)

Gavlar^v²⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 8-9| J: Callum Shepherd| T: M J Attwater| OR: 57| C| D

40/1

Course winner. Twenty-one runs since last win in 2018. 14/1, last of 5 in handicap at Goodwood (16f, good) 24 days ago, slowly away. Looks vulnerable.

Form: 4420-05

(8)

Bird For Life^p⁴⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 8-8| J: Charlie Bennett| T: M D I Usher| OR: 56| CD

17/2

C&D winner. Fourteen runs since last win in 2020. Tenth of 12 in handicap at this C&D (AW, 13/2) 45 days ago, not ideally placed. Opposable from a win point of view.

Form: 733360

Non-Runners

(2)

Devizes²⁹

Weight: 9-0| Age: 5

T: P Phelan J: Non Runner

Forecasts

General Zoff (6/4), London Eye (9/4), Justified (9/2), Devizes (8/1), Bird For Life (17/2), Pledge Of Peace (16/1), Cold Harbour (18/1), Gavlar (40/1)

GENERAL ZOFF snapped a long losing run on his C&D reappearance last month and ran just as well in defeat at York subsequently. He is clearly in good heart and is marginally preferred to the hat-trick seeking London Eye, who remains on a feasible mark. Justified has more on his plate than at Chelmsford last time.