Flat Racing - 16th of February

[Monterosso]

3:30 Lingfield - Final Verse - 2pts @ 9/1 (Bet365) Tricky customer who finds winning tough lately but may be worth pursuing with once again. He's a previously class act, rated 109 in his day and was competitive at Group level. Final Verse is now an 8 year old, but running pretty consistently despite failing to take advantage in a seller last time out, where he was a disappointing 4th. However, that leads to another bit of leeway from the handicapper and now that he's running off a mark of 70, I think he should be getting competitive here. He's a C&D winner from 3lbs higher, likes to be held up and is best suited when running at a strong pace, which he will almost definitely get to do here. George Baker takes the ride for the first time on this fellow and that's a huge positive in my opinion. He doesn't ride too often for Matthew Salaman (1 from 5) and it looks like a very interesting booking. The return to a mile will help and everything looks set for a big performance from this fellow, who would blow these away if returning to anything like his usual self. The pace should be solid, the jockey booking is solid and Lingfield should suit his style. I'm hopeful of a big run from this fellow and I think 9/1 is vastly overstating his chances, even though this is a wide open contest. Small/medium stakes in the hope that he'll return to winning ways.

[chris34]

Flat Racing 16th Feb 3.30 Lingfield A very competitive handicap with many of these on good looking marks and a few in the right frame of mind. Tukitinyasok looks well handicapped on turf form, but is yet to convince he handles the AW surface and should come on for the run last time out needs to prove to me handles surface. Shared Moment has sparked back to life having had the visor fitted and does need a strongly run race to suit, he is never gone win by much with his style of racing but that means handicapper cant attack her too much, only 2lb higher for latest win. is 2 from 5 round here and best efforts have always come round here, has placed off this mark before and could easily follow up in current mood. The other that interests me is Cuthbert although not guaranteed to stay this trip he plugged on behind next time out winners advertisement and lockantanks and a few good efforts behind make that race form look very strong running off the same mark today and useful claimer takes a handy 3lb off and is currently 1lb below last wining mark. 0.2pt win Cuthbert 9/2 bet365 0.2pt win Shared Moment 4/1 vc 6.10 Kempton Black Baccarra has been in good form recently but that has been in less competitive races and has to run 2lb out the handicap here which could be a big ask. Sherjawy often runs his race and rather had a race fall apart on penultimate start that gave him a golden opportunity to get back on the scoreboard, 5lb up for that but ran a good race in defeat last time out and if repeating that again today off same mark should have a good chance with a good record around here although yet to win off a mark as high as this. Island legend is one of several front running times although the others including Sherjawy, Whisky Junction and Black Bacarra often tend to push the pace, so its either gonna fall apart in front or will get the run of the race and the way he stayed on stoutly last time out was encouraging and has a great draw here to front run again and only 2lb higher and relatively lightly raced compared to most in this race and this race probably a tad weaker than last time out. 0.1pt win Sherjawy 0.2pt win Island Legend