Richard Birch's play of the day at Lingfield

Coast

Celebrate the start of Brighton festival week by backing course-and-distance winner Coast to make all in Lingfield’s 6f handicap.

The five-year-old has raced 57 times, but only six of them have been on turf and the daughter of Aclaim has plenty more to offer.

She unleashed an excellent burst of early pace to lead her seven Lingfield rivals in June, before keeping on strongly to slam Lahina Bay by two lengths.

Coast competes off just 3lb higher this time and there is ample evidence to suggest she is the best-handicapped horse in the race.

Officially, she renews rivalry with Lahina Bay on the same terms, but when jockey claims from the two races are taken into consideration she is actually 11lb better off.

My selection finished a length and three-quarters third to Big Bard on Lingfield’s all-weather track last month, and now has an 11lb pull with that rival, 18lb if you take into account Mikkel Mortensen’s 7lb claim.

There is also a formline with Arlecchino’s Gift from Wolverhampton last month which adds weight to the conviction that Coast is very much the one to beat.

Coast, who finished a two-length third that day, is now 6lb better off and also better drawn in stall ten, close to the stands’ rail, which often acts as a ‘golden highway’.