Both Arlecchino's Rex and Distillation ran respectable, similar races at Lingfield yesterday; without both of them ever quite threatening to be involved close home; neither beaten far, both going on in the last furlong. AR seemed to get the tenth furlong adequately but one is left with the suspicion that he is more effective over shorter; he also might just come on a little for running yesterday having not run for almost two months.

With Distillation the evidence of the form book over those last two runs since the winning performance at Wolverhampton is that the three pounds hike have just taken winning to the edge of his horizon; he should get back at least one of those pounds back following yesterday and we will look to find him a race or two where he can better exploit that.

Lightenings Legacy showed some at least improvement on the reasonable ground at Hamilton; he will be seen to better effect in Handicaps going forward and he will achieve a mark after one more run.

Ivat Ghia runs for only the fifth time at Ffos Las this evening (5.10); he is an unexposed horse with a degree of ability and he showed this in his first handicap start at Leicester three weeks ago, coming from the back to be a running on second; he might need to find around five pounds with both Nammos and King of the Dance but we are significantly less exposed than both of those two and have a fair bit more potential to improve enough to find that; he has a competitive ew chance (especially down to fourth) this evening and the plan will be to sit a little closer early; he is fairly priced at around sevens in a ten runner race and should run well; and not be far away.

No runners tomorrow or Friday; Monks Mead is in at his favourite Lingfield on Saturday evening.