Talking Horses: Lucky Max stands out at Lingfield’s Winter Million

The £100,000 Sovereign Handicap Hurdle is the feature event on the first day of the inaugural Winter Million meeting at Lingfield on Friday and it has attracted a strong field including Metier, a Grade One winner as a novice, and three challengers from Ireland.

Metier has failed to add to his decisive victory in the Tolworth Hurdle in three subsequent starts, but he hinted at a return to something like that level when fourth in a valuable race at Ascot just before Christmas. Harry Fry’s runner also has form on heavy going, unlike Emmet Mullins’s Carrarea, a sole ride on the card for Irish champion Paul Townend.

Fellow raider Lucky Max (3.35), however, is a winner on deep ground and defied a 15lb hike in the weights to complete a hat-trick in a big field at Cork in December. The sixth and eighth horses home there were winners next time, he gets on really well with useful 3lb-claimer Jack Foley and Sean Doyle’s fast-improving six-year-old looks the pick of the prices at around 6-1.

Market Rasen 1.30: The market leaders Minella Buster and Le Grand Lion both put up improved performances last time. A strong pace seems certain here and that just tips the balance in favour of Ben Pauling’s six-year-old, who proved his stamina at Huntingdon last month.

Lingfield 1.50: Le Ligerien has never been the most consistent of performers but his debut win over fences at Chepstow a fortnight ago was backed up by a strong time so perhaps a wind op over the summer has done the trick.

Market Rasen 2.05: Angels Landing improved to finish within five lengths of a useful winner at Ludlow earlier this month and starts his handicapping career on a very fair mark.

Lingfield 2.25: If On The Blind Side runs to the form of his close second in a Grade