Lysino shaped well when finishing runner-up here a fortnight ago and he can go one better over C&D in the two-mile handicap hurdle at 14:15. Lysino has improved since going handicapping and he produced his best effort yet last time, travelling like the best horse at the weights for much of the contest, poised to challenge when making a crucial late mistake. Lysino could well have won without that blunder at the second-last flight and he could have more to offer in this sphere given his fairly useful Flat form.
The progressive Modernstone remains lightly raced for a four-year-old and she can take another step up the ladder by taking the one-and-a-half mile handicap at 14:35. William Knight's filly ran well to finish fourth in a listed contest at Kempton on her penultimate start and she proved that effort was no fluke by showing further improvement to land a handicap over this C&D last month, beating the reopposing Grendisar by a short head. Modernstone has a 5 lb higher mark to defy, and is poorly drawn in stall 13, but she looks like a filly on the up and could still have plenty to offer; she is worth siding with this afternoon.
Our next bet runs in the following race on the card (15:10) as we side with the prolific winner Perfect Pasture. Perfect Pasture has improved markedly since fitted with a visor, racking up five victories on the bounce, and, based on his most recent success, there is little reason to suspect that his winning run will come to an end. Perfect Pasture was value for more than the neck winning margin at Kempton last time, always looking like he was holding the runner-up, and a 5 lb rise in the weights for that win shouldn't prove a barrier to success with the excellent Adam Kirby booked for the first time.
Timeform Selections:
Back Lysino in the 14:15 at Newcastle
Back Modernstone in the 14:35 at Lingfield
Back Perfect Pasture in the 15:10 at Lingfield
