Well-bred Lethal Impact can make winning mark this time

Lethal Impact 1pt win
2.10 Lingfield

Lethal Impact is worth backing to break his maiden at the third attempt.

David Simcock’s colt kept on encouragingly on his sole start at two when a close fourth in a good mile maiden at Newcastle in November, finishing on the heels of three useful colts.

He again ran into decent rivals when he made his return at Newbury over 1m3f. Held up out the back, he made his move on the inside but couldn’t sustain his effort and was not knocked about once his chance had gone, finishing sixth behind Face The Facts.

There’s every chance this son of Deep Impact can improve on what he has achieved so far as he is a brother to a Japanese Group 1 winner. He looks a stayer in the making and will go on the ground.

Adjective 1pt
2.30 Yarmouth

Adjective has been given a workable mark of 69 for her British debut and looks the one to beat on her first start for James Fanshawe.

The four-year-old didn’t show much in three runs for Andre Fabre last season, but she had been entered in the French Classics and was perhaps a victim of a virus the Fabre yard suffered from last year.

She at least ran better on her last run at Dieppe, where she stayed on well over 1m1f, and she will surely prove better than her mark given that she comes from an excellent Juddmonte family, being closely related to Byword. She is bred to stay this trip and goes on the ground.

Dark Devil 1pt
4.20 Ayr

There doesn’t look to be a great deal of pace in this race and that may well suit Dark Devil.

Jay Kay or Zoravan are the most likely to lead from their low draws, but both have a bit to find on recent efforts.

That should allow Paul Hanagan to slot in behind them before producing a winning challenge on Dark Devil, who is still lightly raced with scope for improvement and looks on a fair mark, just 3lb higher than when winning at Goodwood on his last start of 2016.

A faster-run race would greatly assist hold-up horse Nicholas T as he has shown a fair turn of foot this season, but he is better suited to big fields and there are only 11 in this.

Maleficent Queen 1pt
5.20 Ayr

Maleficent Queen has been running into form of late and can follow up last year’s comfortable win in this race at the expense of likely favourite Nezwaah.

Keith Dalgleish gave his five-year-old some tough assignments after she won this race last year and she was far from disgraced most times.

In need of her seasonal debut at the Lincoln meeting, she left that form behind when second at Musselburgh over 1m6f, which was right up there with her best efforts.

She then did best of those held up on her first attempt at 2m in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot last time and should find this less competitive.

She has the pace to cope with this drop in trip and her fitness and stamina will be an advantage, while four of her five wins have come at this time of year and Dalgleish is in good form.

Nezwaah looked exciting on occasions last season and wasn’t beaten far by So Mi Dar at Yarmouth in September.

However, there’s not much between her and Maleficent Queen on a line through More Mischief and she could be vulnerable on her seasonal bow.

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