Of the early market leaders, Echo Watt, is a real heavy-ground specialist and William Philo, another soft-ground winner, looked as though he needed more of a test than the three miles he had at Exeter last time.
He won't get that on this sharp track (especially with a drying forecast), so the pair to concentrate on are the re-opposing rivals, Waikiki Waves and Ramore Will, who represent excellent value, given that the early market seems to have overestimated the other pair.
Waikiki Waves and Ramore Will clashed in a Class 5 handicap over a shorter 22-furlong trip at this venue (on soft) three weeks ago.
15:25 (Lingfield) Waikiki Waves
Waikiki Waves went from the front, as he likes to do, but he needed stronger handling than he got that day, leading him to surrender the lead to Ramore Will four out, albeit keeping on well enough to remain on the winner's tail at the line.
Ramore Will is four pounds higher today whilst Waikiki Waves runs from an unchanged mark, but more significantly, Jamie Moore takes over on Waikiki Waves this time. Moore has guided this nine-year-old to four of his last five wins, and his stronger riding technique seems ideally suited to get the best response.
Waikiki Waves will also be favoured by today's longer trip. His last hurdling win came over 23 furlongs at this venue and he has form up to 26f, while Ramore Will has never won beyond 22 furlongs, other than in point-to-point six years ago
Whilst Ramore Will has recorded four of his last five wins on either genuinely soft or heavy ground, Waikiki Waves is an eight-time winner with five of those successes coming on good ground, so he should be favoured by the drying conditions, especially when combined with the longer trip.
With his recent return to form at this track coming on his first completed start since returning from a 184-day break, Waikiki Waves looks primed to strike again with Jamie Moore back in the saddle.
Ramore Will, meanwhile, should also go well once more under this rider and is lightly-raced over fences for his age, but no-one will know his capabilities better than Jamie Moore, aboard Waikiki Waves, who has also guided Ramore Will to victory in the past.
