Green light for Amber at Lingfield

– Amberjam can make it four wins on the bounce and defy another leap up the ratings in the Injured Jockeys Fund Surrey National Handicap Chase at Lingfield today.

The seven-year-old is hardly one of Oliver Sherwood’s stable stars as, even with a recent 3kg hike in the weights, he is still only rated 108. But he has been making progress at a rate of knots.

He scored the first of three successive wins at Huntingdon in November 2014, but a tendon injury then kept him on the sidelines until New Year’s Eve, when he made a victorious return over hurdles.

Sherwood wasted little time in switching his sights to fences following that success, and Amberjam duly rose to the challenge to win by 0.75 lengths.

He looked an unlikely winner as he was all out at the last, but Amberjam showed he has plenty of heart to hang on and has been given the best part of a month to recover from those exertions.

Nicky Henderson’s Take To Heart has shown up well in two bumpers to date so should take some stopping in the Retraining Of Racehorses Flat Race.

Owned by Queen Elizabeth, he was beaten three lengths on his debut at Southwell and was then third at Doncaster in November.

He has been given plenty of time to strengthen up since then and his family has produced the likes of Open Hearted and Close Touch.

Cultram Abbey might get back to winning ways in the Hamilton Handicap Chase at Carlisle.

Just touched off on his return to action at this track, he was beaten a long way by Harry The Viking in the Borders National when he appeared not to get home.

For a 10-year-old having his first run over hurdles for nearly two years, he showed up well at Haydock last time out.

The winner, Dadsintrouble, defied a 6kg higher mark on Saturday but Cultram Abbey is better over fences and he goes well here.

Donald McCain has been the man to follow at Carlisle this year and his Fin And Game really caught the eye when second on debut.

On a stiffer track, given how strongly he finished, he should take plenty of beating in the closing bumper.

Shamshon can take the richest prize of the day, the Betway Handicap at Wolverhampton.

Now with Stuart Williams after spells with Richard Hannon and Jamie Osborne, Shamshon will be having just his second start for new connections following an average debut at Chelmsford earlier this month. - Press Association