As it's a Bank Holiday we'll give you a late start, waiting until the 15:50 at Musselburgh before wading in with our first bet. The race is a classy three-year-old handicap that wouldn't have looked far out place at the Craven meeting, for all it's dominated by Northern yards. That said it's one of the interlopers, Bilimbi, who we fancy.
It's not too difficult to see why the BHA handicapper has decided upon a rating of 82: Bilimbi's maiden win at Yarmouth looks shaky on the bare form. Still, there's a body of evidence to suggest he's better than that. He's bred to be useful for a start, while the visual impression of his win, backed up by the timefigure and race standardisation, leads us to come to an altogether more positive conclusion. Knowing the Haggas yard and its habits, the fact Bilimbi turns up in a handicap on his reappearance suggests that those who see him work at home are inclined to agree with us.
We'll be playing in the last two races on Lingfield's All-Weather Championships card. In the first, the Mile Championship at 16:40, it's time to get your ante-post Lincoln losses back. Captain Cat looked poised to be favourite for the Lincoln before being withdrawn after final declarations and there's no reason for our faith to have diminished. Indeed, there's cause to be even more confident with him on the all-weather as his improvement in recent months has all come on polytrack.
Last time we saw him, Captain Cat was second to subsequent Winter Derby winner Robin Hoods Bay over the Winter Derby C&D, headed only close home. We can presume that Captain Cat is fit (missed Doncaster only due to ground concerns), we can be fairly confident that he'll be at least as well suited to a mile and, on those bases, propose that he is the one to beat in the Mile Championship.
The final race (17:20) is billed as the Easter Classic but you feel that, at least until it's more established, it will have the feel of something like the Aintree Bowl to the Winter Derby's Gold Cup. Indeed, six of the 13 entered come here from the Winter Derby and, in true Aintree style, we fancy a reversal of fortunes.
The pace in the Winter Derby was strong, too strong, first three home Robin Hoods Bay, Windhoek and Aussie Reigns duly coming from off it. Fourth-placed Dick Doughtywylie raced much closer, actually going on two furlongs out before he tired. To compound matters, it was his first run for three months. A gradual improver throughout his career, it looks as though Dick Doughtywylie is still getting better at six and if he can improve again here he really ought to outrun odds which look likely to be in double-figures.
Timeform UK SmartPlays
Back Bilimbi @ 5.95/1 in the 15:50 Musselburgh
Back Captain Cat @ 5.79/2 in the 16:40 Lingfield
Back Dick Doughtywylie @[ 10.0] in the 17:20 Lingfield
