Mirage is no illusion at Lingfield

A competitive event is in store - as it should be with £45,000 up for grabs - and siding with Newmarket trainer Marco Botti in good contests on the sand is never a bad line of attack.

The six-year-old hardly ever runs a bad race and his fifth at this track over Christmas can be marked up as a wide draw did him no favours.

Very much an all-weather specialist, three of his seven career wins have come on the Surrey Polytrack, including when breaking the track record for seven furlongs in February last year off a mark of 100.

Fourth to the very smart Captain Cat followed on the £1million card on Good Friday, when perhaps he did not quite get the mile.

He looks to be coming nicely back to the boil and holds every chance off his current rating of 99.

Coursing took a huge step forward last time out and she can progress again to star in the 32Red Casino Handicap.

Five starts towards the end of last year yielded little joy for Sir Mark Prescott's filly but the experience evidently was not lost on her as she made a perfect start to 2015.

Equipped with first-time blinkers, she grabbed the initiative from the start and controlled the race all the way as she stormed three and a half lengths clear of Birkdale Boy.

The handicapper has taken a dim view of that performance and has hiked Coursing 11lb in the handicap but she appears to be a typical Prescott improver and it could be dangerous to write off her chances.

Watt Broderick looks a winner waiting to happen in the 32Red Handicap at Wolverhampton.

Ian Williams' dual-purpose performer has been in fine fettle since he reverted to the Flat, with two sound placed efforts at Dunstall Park a measure of his current well-being.

Watt Broderick has only gone up 1lb for finishing fourth in a blanket finish over this extended two-mile trip and deserves a change of fortune.

Purcell's Bridge is deeply respected in the Skybet Home of The Price Boost Handicap Chase at Doncaster.

Rose Dobbin's inmate revelled in the step back up to three miles at Musselburgh on New Year's Day when he bossed a decent handicap chase.

The eight-year-old has gone up 9lb for that nine-length triumph, but he is clearly riding high this winter and should be followed accordingly.

Little wonder Dobbin has decided to keep him over three miles for his latest engagement on Town Moor, with the prospect of slightly better ground than at Musselburgh highly unlikely to knock him off his stride.

A Vos Gardes should be a lot sharper for his hurdling debut at Southwell in November when he lines up in the Sportinglife My Stable Maiden Hurdle.

Charlie Longsdon's five-year-old was unbeaten in two starts in bumpers last term, and was hardly disgraced on his first try over hurdles.

A Vos Gardes finished a decent third behind the well-regarded duo of Some Plan and King's Odyssey, who have both since held their own in better company.

The five-year-old gelding will be a shade unfortunate if he bumps into anything of that calibre of animal in South Yorkshire, with this longer trip also a positive.

Zeroeshadesofgrey looks the star turn on Huntingdon's card.

Neil King is adamant the six-year-old has enough class to make a mark in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, but he will need to improve upon a pretty meek effort at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

The grey was well fancied to claim a fourth win on the spin, but he could only finish third behind Thomas Brown.

Zeroeshadesofgrey should be forgiven that run, though, as previous efforts at Doncaster and Uttoxeter (twice) were most impressive.

This step up to three and a quarter miles could be just the tonic for King's representative, who should have more than enough about him to take this off a mark of 140.

Merchant Of Milan remains winless from 12 starts, but he must have a fighting chance in the Lafarge Tarmac Ultimate Sustainability Handicap Chase.

The seven-year-old showed up well over course and distance on January 9, when only defeated by Arbeo, and looks capable of exploiting a lowly mark over fences.

SELECTIONS:

AYR: 1.15 Harry The Lemon, 1.45 Cathedral, 2.20 Ardmillan, 2.55 Gilt Shadow, 3.25 Fine Rightly, 3.55 Baby Bach.

DONCASTER: 12.35 Shantou Magic, 1.05 Days Of Heaven, 1.40 Made Of Diamonds, 2.15 Purcell's Bridge, 2.50 Steel Summit, 3.20 Our Boy Ben, 3.50 A Vos Gardes.

DUNDALK: 6.05 Majestic Timeline, 6.35 Song Of Love, 7.05 Stoichkhov, 7.35 Balmont Blast, 8.05 Tennessee Wildcat, 8.35 Sharjah, 9.05 Bomber Jackson.

HUNTINGDON: 12.50 Bouggietopieces, 1.20 Merchant Of Milan, 1.50 Sweeping Rock, 2.25 Minella Forfitness, 3.00 Zeroeshadesofgrey, 3.30 Vinnieslittle Lamb, 4.00 Wordy's Boy.

LINGFIELD: 1.30 My Lord, 2.00 Vejovis, 2.35 Spray Tan, 3.10 GREY MIRAGE (NAP), 3.40 Coursing, 4.10 Honourable Action.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 4.15 Candesta, 4.45 Legerity, 5.15 Watt Broderick, 5.45 Arashi, 6.15 Arabian Flight, 6.45 Opus Dei.

DOUBLE: Grey Mirage and Purcell's Bridge.