Newsboy reckons all-weather specialist Thapa Vc can add to his record at Lingfield and also likes the look of a Jeremy Scott-trained mare at Newton Abbot
THAPA VC (4.12, NAP) can take the gold medal at Lingfield today. The seven-year-old has been a grand servant to trainer Mark Rimell, with 11 wins for the Oxfordshire handler, nine of them on the all-weather.
He is a course and distance winner at Lingfield and, while posting some decent efforts over the winter, has slipped down to his last winning mark. Last time out at Wolverhampton he did well to finish just over two lengths off the winner from a wide draw and overcoming the same challenge at Lingfield should be a more straightforward task.
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Jeremy Scott is still on cloud nine after winning the Champion Hurdle with Golden Ace and his stable continues in top form, operating at a 50 per cent strike rate in the last fortnight.
His mare BORDER GEM (5.05, NB) can maintain the momentum on her third appearance in a bumper at Newton Abbot.
She finished fifth on debut in a race which has produced two winning novice hurdlers and took another step forward in February when fourth at Hereford.
In time she will need further than today’s 2m1f but in a race that might not take much winning she can get off the mark under 7lb claimer Chad Bament.