Wincanton free racing tips: Rival stayers go head to head in early-season stamina test

15:15 Wincanton: My Pension Expert Handicap Chase (3 miles 2 furlongs 162 yards)

My Silver Lining is a course-distance mare who made a winning start to last season by scoring at this venue on good ground, so she will be well suited to these drying conditions.

Emma Lavelle’s eight-year-old has recorded three of her last four wins on good ground over trips around 25 furlongs, and she has since conclusively proved her stamina by winning a higher-class Grade 3 premier handicap over 29 furlongs on slower ground.

She is a dual good-ground winner over 25 furlongs around this circuit by margins of nine and ten lengths, so she has a fine chance to extend her unbeaten course record to 3/3, all of them on good ground.

Best Bet: My Silver Lining each-way in the 15:15 at Wincanton

Her mark is significantly higher than it was at this time last season, but she enjoyed a very productive campaign despite not once having a sound surface following her opening win at this venue.

She is only a pound higher than when finishing a close-up third of 12 in the Grade 3 Midlands Grand National on her penultimate outing at Uttoxeter, so she is still very competitive on these terms.

Her prominent racing style is well suited to this tight, flat track and her regular rider, James Best, might decide to go from the front and make this a thorough test now that the mare has proven herself over longer distances.

Of the others, Credo won this race last year with more than six lengths in hand off a mark of 123, so she has to go on the shortlist off her current mark of 128, given the ease of that win and given the fact that her mark subsequently rose to 133 (5lbs higher than today).

She likes these tight circuits, has won on good ground three times before, and she also goes very well fresh. As well she won this on her seasonal debut last term, so she is sure to have been prepared for this target.

The only real caveat is that she won the prize on soft ground last year and her career-best effort came on heavy, so connections would have been happier with a slower surface than this.

Next Best Bet: Credo each-way in the 15:15 at Wincanton

• Preview and tips provided Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr