ITV Racing Tips: Sunday Double for Lingfield

Despite his advancing years, coupled up with the fact he has to concede over a stone and more to the rest, the Kim Bailey-trained FIRST FLOW (best price 9/1) is fancied to roll back the years and see off his younger rivals.

The 12-year-old proved last year that he’s still capable of high-class form with three consecutive runner-up efforts, including when he had Saint Segal in behind at Ascot in November.

He might not be as good as he was, but at the end of the day, he’s a Grade 1 winner who landed the Clarence House Chase in 2021 over this distance when he had several other Grade 1 winners in behind.
That is without a doubt the best piece of form in the field, and he has remained highly reliable, especially since winning the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase later that same year.

After taking a tumble in the Grade 1 Betfair Ascot Chase on his return, he has made a good fist of it in three subsequent starts, which includes a second to Boothill when attempting to give the winner lumps of weight.

He replicated that showing when giving more weight to a revamped Quel Destin at Chepstow last time, and he has been left on an unaltered mark here. He has plenty of form over a wide range of distances, but this trip is his optimum, and the conditions will suit.

Given that he had today's favourite Saint Segal well held at Ascot on similar terms two starts ago, there’s no reason why he can’t confirm his superiority if he can keep up his good run of form, as we know he can act at this course.

The market may have overlooked him, but I’m not going to, because I’m convinced he still has the class to beat the remainder, and his price is very appealing in context. He will give it his all.

Dan Skelton’s NURSE SUSAN (best price 7/2) must have a serious chance off a mark of 129 in the Weatherbys Hamilton Handicap Hurdle. The seven-year-old won her first couple of starts over hurdles before finishing an excellent second to Love Envoi at this meeting a couple of seasons ago.

The winner is now rated 153 and has won and been second at the Cheltenham Festival for the last couple of years. When Dan Skelton’s mare chased her home here in that aforementioned contest, the winner was better suited to the conditions, so her performance in defeat can be markedly upgraded.

Her fourth behind Harry Fry’s charge in the Grade 2 Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle reads well, and she resumed winning ways over hurdles at Cheltenham last time following a disappointing chase debut. It’s intriguing to see connections step her up in trip to three miles.

Her form compared to Moka De Vassy is far superior, and she currently holds a Stayers’ Hurdle entry, so if she were to win this and win it impressively, she could take up that option. I’ll be gobsmacked if she doesn’t prove to be better than her initial mark. She has a lot in her favour.

Extra ITV Racing Tips

It would be fair to say that it has been an auspicious start to life over fences for ALAPHILIPPE (best price 9/1), which has not gone according to plan, but the return to hurdles in the Weatherbys Hamilton Handicap Hurdle with a handy mark could see the ten-year-old get his career back on track.

It was only in 2021 that he won a Grade 2 in this sphere prior to being denied by a whisker when second in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham before missing the entire 2022–23 season after having sustained an injury. He is back over hurdles from a three-pound lower mark, and should it help him restore his confidence, he’s a major player.

The Surrey National has a wide open feel about it, but the top-weight FERN HILL (best price 9/1) could be suited to the longer trip, and his latest course third in the Welsh National Trial at Chepstow early last month was decent to say the least.

He will be partnered by the in-form Daryl Jacob, and he’s undergone wind surgery since his latest return to action. He is a pound below his last winning mark, and the nine-year-old is likely to be up with the early pace, which is beneficial at a course like this.

If he can build on his latest encouraging return, which has worked out well with the winner subsequently winning the Welsh National itself, he could be ready to make a bold bid. A solid each-way chance with four places widely available.

Animal has been in good form of late, and his win over My Silver Lining at Sandown is useful given the runner-up has subsequently lifted the Classic Chase at Warwick.

However, he’s up to a new career-high mark and might find one or two too good. Instead, the vote goes to a bigger-priced runner in the shape of DR KANANGA (best price 9/1), who should strip fitter for his reappearance run in the Tommy Whittle last month and should derive for the longer distance under suitable conditions.

He ran well for a long way in the race before a lack of fitness told, and this race might have been the plan for a while. His trainer, Ben Clarke, has won this before, and being back on the same mark as when he last won, this lightly-raced ten-year-old makes plenty of each-way appeal, with four places widely on offer.