Talking Horses: Tyrrhenian Sea tough to oppose in Easter Classic

The decision to switch the All-Weather Championships card from Lingfield to Newcastle also means that Tyrrhenian Seareturns to the track where he reeled off a mid-winter hat-trick, and he is likely to start at odds-on for his in-form trainer, Roger Varian, in the Betway Easter Classic at the end of the card.

The four-year-old looked like one of the unluckiest losers of the all-weather campaign when only fourth at odd-on at Kempton Park last month, and he is better judged on a very cosy win from an opening mark of 87 on his handicap debut in February.

His five rivals all arrive with more experience and Living Legend will be a danger if Joe Fanning gets loose on the lead, but Tyrrhenian Sea (4.45) is top on the ratings and has more scope for improvement too so it will be tough to deny him a fourth win from five starts.

Newcastle 2.00 My Oberon was a respectable sixth in the Dubai Turf less than three weeks ago but provided he is over that, he is the clear form pick on his win in a qualifier on Tapeta at Southwell in February.

Lingfield 2.20 Tough to rule out any of the dozen runners here with confidence, but Asadjumeirah has the best individual piece of recent form – an easy win at Newcastle in February – and has not has not done much wrong in his three starts since.

Newcastle 2.35 Ejtilaab put up a career-best performance – in the 19th race of his career – at Kempton last month to win a handicap off 105 and anything close to that level will make him difficult to beat here.

Lingfield 2.55 Zameka made his debut in a hot race at Kempton in November and is a potential handicap blot off 81. He has done all his racing at seven furlongs so far, however, and at the likely odds, Aasser, a winner in a solid time at Wolverhampton in