3.40pm Lingfield Tips & Betting Preview 04/05/2017

A nine strong field go to post for the forth race of the day at Lingfield on Friday, see our betting tips and the full race preview below.

IN SUMMARY: Russian Reward has been running well of late and should remain competitive though Martin Smith’s BRIDGE OF SIGHS has a great record on the all weather and can take advantage of a good mark to win this. He has won four times from eleven starts on the all weather and is now only 2lb above his last winning mark, running well off today’s mark on his penultimate outing where he finished a close third behind a well handicapped sort in January. The race wasn’t run to suit on his latest start and this bigger field should mean it is this time around, so with Robert Winston taking the ride he looks to have winning claims in this.

1 SYNODIC – Has hit a purple patch of late with three victories from his last four runs, with two of those here at Lingfield over the 1m 4f trip and the latest of them coming on his penultimate start when pushed out to success. Raised another 4lb he was far from disgraced when third at Kempton when dropped back to his trip, running on well but just failing and another pound rise may be lenient for this Seamus Durack inmate. He’ll be on the premises again and is a major player.

2 BIRDGE OF SIGHS – Has won four times from eleven starts on the all weather and he ran a good race on his penultimate start when third at Kempton in January, keeping on dourly but unable to quicken towards the finish. He was less good on his latest start over the 1m 4f trip here when outpaced down the side, not suited by the steady pace on show. Not handicapped out of things with him only being only 2lb above his last winning mark and he has a good each way chance if given a strong pace.

3 RUSSIAN REWARD – Has been running well in the main this season for Amanda Perrett, winning four starts ago over C&D off a 5lb lower mark, though he was far from disgraced on his latest start at Brighton off a mark 2lb lower than today’s when second, taken on for the lead. He’ll need a soft lead but he clearly likes this C&D and Jack Mitchell is a good jockey booking who can get the fractions right out in front, so all signs point to a big run from stall five.

4 TOM’S ROCK – Ran his best two races of his career to date towards the end of 2016, winning at Windsor in good style back in September before being a narrow third at Yarmouth in October off today’s mark. He didn’t back that up when well beaten at Windsor when last seen and does have something to prove on the back of that, though he was entitled to need the reappearance. The market should be useful on his first outing of the season. but others make more appeal.

5 THEOS LOLLY – Down to a mark of 73 which is now 2lb below his last winning mark but that is only because of some poor efforts towards the back end of last season. He did however show encouragement on seasonal debut when fifth at Pontefract and he should build on that run hugely for Richard Fahey. This course winner has Adam McNamara on board and should be going close if back to near his best off this mark. Respected.

6 MARMION – Has to be in with a huge shout on the best of his 2015 form where he came second in a good quality handicap at York in June 2015, though he did miss the entirety of 2016 and has cut little ice since returning this year for Les Eyre. The jockey booking of Adam Kirby is an interesting one but on the basis of his last two runs he’s almost impossible to fancy and others make far more appeal on this occasion.

7 ATAMAN – Still a maiden after ten starts but he has shown bits of form that would make him interesting, including his forth at Nebwury in June where he ran a solid race, though his profile overall is quite suspect. Performed poorly on all three starts that followed last season and although his reappearance run at Pontefract wasn’t a bad effort, he still poses as a risky to back on his profile as a whole. Likely to have his day in a low grade affair but is passed over in this.

8 SILVER GHOST – Only five runs under his belt for multiple yards, with his best run to date being an 80/1 third at Salisbury in September where he did himself no disservice. He made his handicap debut on his latest start when well beaten at Windsor in October and will need to have improved markedly over the winter if he’s to be featuring in this. First run for the Eve Johnson Houghton yard which gives some hope for better, but the percentage call is to avoid.

9 SAGA SPIRIT – Was certainly a mixed bag for this yard last season and although she finished second at Wolverhampton three starts ago, she failed to back that up on two subsequent runs where she finished last at both Chelmsford and Salisbury at the 1m 6f and 1m 2f trip respectively. Down in the weights again on seasonal debut but others are preferred on the balance of his form, as she’s certainly not one to rely on heavily.