Lingfield: Kingdom can prove better than the handicapper

Fakenham

Olly Murphy and Richard Johnson team up with a couple of decent chances on this card, most notably SAUCYSIOUX (2.50). The seven-year-old lost her way after winning a maiden hurdle back in December 2015 but she produced her best effort since then when runner-up at Cartmel in August. She still had a lot of work to do at the final hurdle but she flew up the long run-in and only narrowly failed to reel in Dotties Dilema, who has boosted the form with two subsequent victories.

LAND LEAGUE (3.20) ran better than the final result suggests on his chase debut at Kempton recently and should get a lot closer in this 2m handicap. He was hampered at the first fence and short of room at the second, but he plugged on for a midfield finish. That race was won by Exitas who won a valuable Ascot handicap next time out and this looks an easier assignment for Stuart Edmunds’ six-year-old.

Henry Daly has a 50 per cent strike-rate when venturing to Fakenham in recent years so KAYFLEUR (1.20), his sole runner on the card, merits close attention. She has a series of creditable efforts to her name over fences and will find this more suitable than the 3m4f110yds she tackled at Haydock last time out.

Southwell

PRETTY RECKLESS (12.30) has been generally progressive since switching to fences and may not have finished improving yet.

Dan Skelton’s Scorpion mare was only third on her debut over the larger obstacles at Sedgefield in September behind My Renaissance but she has won two subsequent outings, most recently at Market Rasen 12 days ago.

The four-year-old had to work quite hard to subdue Elkstone, but the duo pulled well clear and a 5lb rise in the weights looks fair.
VADO FORTE (3.00) has yet to seriously trouble the judge but he is capable of a much better effort now that he moves into handicap company.

Tom Lacey’s four-year-old has pulled too hard in three hurdles but that hasn’t stopped him showing signs of promise, including at Chepstow last time when he travelled well until his early exertions told. He has a workable mark for this handicap debut.

Sandy Cove, a relatively new recruit for Olly Murphy, is the danger.

Lingfield

MIDDLE KINGDOM (2.10) lost his unbeaten record last time out but may be able to get back to winning ways.

John Gosden’s colt won his first two starts and was perhaps slightly unlucky to not complete the hat-trick at Chelmsford recently, as he didn’t get a clear run in the home straight but was still only beaten three-quarters of a length.

The son of War Front is still unexposed and could still turn out better than a handicapper.

Tuesday cards

Get tips for every race run in Britain from Tuesday to Sunday in this week's Racing & Football Outlook – out every Tuesday