Lingfield Park Tips: Newcomer could be useful

Eight races over the jumps at Lingfield on Thursday afternoon, Nov 2nd. Action takes place between 12.10 and 16.15.

Nico and Nicky are here, along with Sean Bowen, Jonjo Snr and Jr, Harry Cobden - a cracking cast-list, frankly.

An entertaining afternoon is surely a certainty.

13.55 - Go Dante @ 10/3

A competitive-looking 2m handicap hurdle, Class 3. Go Dante is trained by Olly Murphy and ridden by the excellent Sean Bowen. Murphy has started the season having winners, and this 7-yr-old gelded son of Kayf Tara is a decent performer who has an entry into the Greatwood at Cheltenham in a few weeks.

He's rated 126, and had a wind op in the summer. Last appeared at Aintree in April, running a tad disappointingly, but the previous month had readily taken a Class 4 event at Wetherby. Sean was on board for that win in north Yorkshire, and again is in the plate.

He's quite lightly-raced given there was a long absence of 395 days from Dec '21 to Jan '23, but the Wetherby run was close to his best. If the wind procedure has worked the oracle he could easily have a big say in this. Small stakes.

15.05 - Illico De Cotte @ 11/10

The superb Dan Skelton trains, and claimer Tristan Durrell takes off a useful 5lb. Illico De Cotte is a French-bred 5-yr-old gelding making his rules debut after just the one point-to-point run in March.

It was a comfortable win, and this novices' hurdle is hardly being dropped in at the deep-end, company-wise. Jonjo fields an experienced, decent and fairly exposed 5-yr-old himself, ridden by Jonjo Jr, and will doubtless have his supporters.

I'll be disappointed however if the Skelton conveyance isn't up top this task - his point was run on heavy and it's likely to be testing here too.

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