14:30 Lingfield

Monday 9 December 2019

All12:0012:3013:0013:3014:0014:3015:0015:30

Betway Casino Handicap

Off time: 14:31 | Winning time: 2m 3.71s

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(7)

Humbert^p,t1²⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: David Probert| T: D O'Meara| OR: 89

10/1

Four-time AW winner but well below his best in recent starts including back on the AW at Kempton latest. Tongue tie added and must spark a revival.

Form: 0-0P800

(8)

Just The Man²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: A Kirby| T: C G Cox| OR: 89| D

15/8

Dual handicap scorer this year but his recent flop at Kempton is tough to explain having won there the time before. Sure he is capable of a bounce back now and rates a leading player.

Form: 312510

(2)

Michele Strogoff⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: Alistair Rawlinson| T: M Appleby| OR: 84| BF| D

6/1

Often saves his best form for Wolverhampton where he's a three-time winner and indeed run well twice there recently. Slightly less sparkling here in between however but he is capable off this mark.

Form: 225354

(1)

Sky Defender¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: F Norton| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 84| D

3/1

Authoritative winner of a Class 4 handicap at Bath (1m2f, firm) in May before flopping at Newbury and then kept off the track for six months. Fair effort in return here and could have needed that so now expectant of a bold bid.

Form: 173-104

(4)

The Jean Genie³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: Hollie Doyle| T: W Stone| OR: 82| CD

9/1

Had been a model of consistency until trailing in last of 13 at Newmarket latest which was probably down to soft ground. Presuming that to be the only issue she can bounce back and give her usual honest showing.

Form: 122330

(3)

Wimpole Hall^p²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 8-8| J: Gaia Boni⁽⁷⁾| T: W Jarvis| OR: 76| D

7/1

Not winning out of turn when successful at 10/1 at Chepstow latest following a decent second at Kempton. Only upped 2lb here so no reason he can't again be involved.

Form: 566721

(5)

Sezim^h1,t¹¹

Age: 3| Weight: 8-6| J: Raul Da Silva| T: M Moubarak| OR: 76

16/1

7½f Chester winner for previous handler Roger Varian will try this trip for the second time today and with a first-time hood also applied. Not ruled out as one of the less exposed runners.

Form: 147557

Non-Runners

(6)

Aegeus⁵⁹

Weight: 8-5| Age: 3

T: Jedd O'Keeffe J: S P Davis

Forecasts

Just The Man (15/8), Aegeus (5/2), Sky Defender (3/1), Michele Strogoff (6/1), Wimpole Hall (7/1), The Jean Genie (9/1), Humbert (10/1), Sezim (16/1)

After over 6 months off there was plenty to like about SKY DEFENDER's fourth here latest and Mark Johnston will no doubt now be keen to make up for last time with this Bath winner who surely is open to plenty of improvement. Handicap debutant Aegeus is a danger having crept in at the bottom of the weights even though he's 1lb out of the handicap. Just The Man ran poorly last time without obvious excuse but his form beforehand is sufficient to rate him a live contender.