The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Swiss Knight to leave rivals in dark on return
Appleby’s three-year-old gelding back on course after lengthy lay-off
SWISS KNIGHT can make a winning return after a four-month lay-off in the sunracing.co.uk Handicap at Lingfield.
The three-year-old cost a few quid as a yearling and is certainly bred to do a job as a son of Oasis Dream out of classy Group-winning sprinter Swiss Diva.
However, he has not quite lived up to his lofty pedigree, winning one of his four starts to date, with that victory coming over a mile back in June.
Swiss Knight was last seen when beaten just a short head at Newmarket in August and has subsequently undergone a gelding operation.
He has been raised 2lb for that reverse, but remains a horse on the upgrade.
MATTERHORN is an interesting proposition in the Follow Top Tipsters At Sun Racing Handicap.
Related to some black-type performers, he did not make his racecourse debut until October when he posted a promising third before stepping up on that to win at Chelmsford next time out.
He had to carry a penalty on his start in a novice heat and that could well have been the difference as he was beaten just over a length into second.
It makes sense for Mark Johnston to turn his attention to handicap company now and a mark of 80 looks a reasonable starting point.
COTSWOLD WAY can bring up his hat trick in the Holly Handicap Hurdle at Leicester.
He appears to thrive on good ground, winning each of his last two starts in novice company with a bit in hand on quicker conditions. SELECTIONS:
LEICESTER: 1.00 Premier Rose, 1.30 Malaspina, 2.00 Jacbequick, 2.30 Cotswold Way, 3.00 Little Pippin, 3.30 Skidoosh.
LINGFIELD: 11.40 Hackbridge, 12.10 Matterhorn, 12.40 Declamation, 1.10 SWISS KNIGHT (NAP), 1.40 Military Law, 2.10 Ban Shoof, 2.40 Beauty Salon, 3.10 Big Bad Lol.
DOUBLE: Swiss Knight and Cotswold Way.