With the ante-post market on the Smurfit Champion Hurdle in chaos, the big novice event over timber at Sandown today takes on added significance.
Jonjo O'Neill already has two leading contenders for the hurdling crown in Intersky Falcon and Rhinestone Cowboy. And he can add another string to his bow with Lingo, who could well book his ticket for the big race by taking the ladbrokes.com Tolworth Hurdle at the Esher course.
Always a horse with plenty of ability when with Lynda Ramsden on the Flat, Lingo has taken well to the winter game and is a little unfortunate not to be unbeaten.
He made a perfectly adequate winning debut for his new connections at Naas before heading to Ascot for a really competitive novice hurdle last month.
Travelling very strongly turning for home, the five-year-old was ridden with a lot of confidence and cruised up behind the leaders with two to jump. He had still not been asked a question going to the last but he made a mistake there and in the meantime eventual winner Perle De Puce had flown.
Lingo fairly powered home on the level and was closing at the finish but the damage had been done. Nevertheless, that was still a big effort for one so inexperienced and he should be hard to beat today with the benefit of that run under his belt.
O'Neill can double up courtesy of Feel The Pride in the ladbrokespoker.com Mares' Only Handicap Hurdle. She has been in terrific form since the middle of last year, winning five of her seven starts.
Her last start saw her score tidily in a valuable event at Ayr as she came with a well-timed run under Tom Siddall to beat Glenmoss Tara by three and a half lengths. She continues to go from strength to strength and it would be a brave man who bet against her improving again.
Inching Closer can confirm himself a smart recruit to fencing with victory in the Cantor Mobile Dipper Chase at Newcastle.
Winner of the Pertemps Final over hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival when with O'Neill, the Inchinor gelding won hard held on his first start for the Howard Johnson and Graham Wylie team.
Eastern Breeze has not been disgraced when tried in better company and he can carry top weight to victory in the Littlewoods Bet Direct Handicap on the all-weather at Lingfield.
Today's jump meetings at Sandown and Newcastle both hinge on 7.30 morning inspections. Officials at Sandown have called for an inspection because a sharp frost was forecast for last night.
Prospects at Newcastle are described as "50-50". After checking the track at noon yesterday, clerk of the course James Armstrong said: "We wouldn't be able to race at this moment."
