The Betway Handicap (2.40) at Lingfield on Tuesday is the best race of the afternoon, in terms of quality, at the Surrey track and, with most of his rivals yet to win in this grade, may present topweight Breden with an opportunity to gain recompense for a luckless run, over a mile, on his last visit to the course in April. On that occasion – on his first run back from 173-day break following a wind operation – Linda Jewell’s 8-year-old was denied a clear run from the two-furlong marker, but when finally in the clear, in the last hundred yards or so, ran on strongly to finish third, beaten two heads, behind the winner, Unforgiving Minute. That performance came off a handicap mark of 86 and, having won comfortably over the straight mile at Newbury in the summer, Breden races off a 3lb higher mark.
The son of multiple Group 1 winner Shamardal steps back up to a mile and a quarter, but has won a couple of times over that distance on turf and, reunited with Robert Winston – who won on him at Newbury – must surely find this an easier assignment than when down the field, at odds of 50/1, in the Silver Cambridgeshire at Newmarket on his last appearance in September. Of course, his 53-day absence isn’t ideal, but he won after a longer break at Newbury and his previous course form suggests he’s well treated on his return to Polytrack and if winning is matters to you a visit to Online Casino Deutschland wouldn’t go a miss! In a small field, a slowly-run, ‘messy’ race is always a possibility, but Breden appears versatile, tactically, and can strike a blow for his small, dual-purpose trainer.
Selection: Lingfield 2.40 Breden to win 6/1