In-form Gosden relies on Dick Doughtywylie in Coral Easter Classic

Dick Doughtywylie is the sole representative in the Coral Easter Classic for in-form trainer John Gosden, and is 12/1 with the sponsors to win the valuable feature event at Lingfield on Good Friday.

The £200,000 contest over 1m 2f is the finale on the all-weather card (5.20), and the six-year-old looks to have major claims of landing the spoils for the Newmarket handler.

The son of Oasis Dream is a useful sort who has won five of his 17 starts and been placed seven occasions.

The last of those successes came over course and distance on his penultimate start where he ran on gamely to beat stable companion Gatewood by 1/2 a length in a listed contest.

The gelding than backed that up with an excellent fourth of 14 to Robin Hood’s Bay in the Group 3 Winter Derby last month, again over course and distance, where he weakened late on to be beaten just 2 3/4 lengths.

That was his first run for 91 days and he had the favourite for the Easter Classic, Grandeur, just over 3 1/2 lengths behind in sixth.

Given that Dick is sure to strip fitter for that outing, he has every chance of confirming the form and also turning the tables on the ultra-fit Aussie Reigns who finished just a length in front of him in third.

His handler is also in red-hot form having saddled 13 winners from his last 22 runners at the time of writing, including a four-timer and a treble at Newbury’s Greenham meeting.

Gosden also boasts an impressive strike rate of nearly 27% with his runners at the track in the past 12 months, and Dick Doughtywylie will have the services in the saddle of William Buick.

Another plus is that, despite his age, he remains relatively unexposed on the all-weather surface having had just four runs on it – winning once and finishing placed on two occasions.