AW guru Simon Mapletoft previews 3:45 Lingfield Coral Easter Classic

COMPLICIT: Has developed into a serious AW performer, taking his record on sand to five from seven in a C&D conditions event in December; came back better than ever to be fourth in the Winter Derby, sticking to his task admirably after racing in the front rank; likely to give it a good shot with further improvement possible, but hard to see him avenging that defeat.

GAELIC SILVER: Taken his form to new heights at the ripe old age of nine, winning handicaps at Kempton and over C&D; no response to Tryster’s turn of foot at the London track latest off a career high mark of 89 and likely to struggle again when the tempo quickens here.

GRENDISAR: Covered himself in glory this winter, winning three Listed races; supplemented his success in 1m4f Floodlit Stakes at Kempton by landing Quebec Stakes and Winter Derby Trial over C&D, posting very fast splits in the latter; came to win his race in Group 3 Winter Derby last month, only to be caught in dying strides by Tryster; needs to be played even later to turn tables.

JACK OF DIAMONDS: Solid handicapper who has run with credit over 1m this winter, and saw out this trip well enough when third off today’s mark of 85 in February; too much to find in this better grade to be given any realistic chance.

REBELLIOUS GUEST: Dropped to a handy mark when contesting the Rosebery Handicap at Kempton last weekend over 1m3f, staying on to take a close third; couldn’t get near Tryster in a 1m2f handicap there previously so hard to see him making his presence felt in this better race.

SHALAMAN: Irish raider who arrives here by virtue on an unlikely win in a Fast Track Qualifier at Dundalk, claiming the scalp of Group performer Parish Hall despite being 19lb wrong at the weights; would make obvious appeal back in a handicap on that evidence but not up to this task.

SOLAR DEITY: Real standardbearer for Marco Botti in recent winters but has found life tough in handicaps this season, climbing to a mark 1lb higher than his last win rating; creditable fifth in this last year but will need to find improvement from somewhere to upset some genuine Pattern performers.

TRYSTER: Unbeaten in four starts on artificial surfaces this year, peaking with an impressive win in the Group 3 Winter Derby when he overcame a difficult passage to nail Grendisar in the final 50 yards; improved his official rating from 87 to 112 since January and has everything in his armoury to suggest that, with a clear passage, he is going to be hard to beat.

VERDICT: With no obvious pace angle, it will take a classy horse to win this big prize and Charlie Appleby’s highly progressive gelding TRYSTER certainly fits the bill. He took his form to a new level when sweeping past a top quality field in the Group 3 Winter Derby and looks too good for these rivals on that compelling piece of form. A hold-up performer with a serious turn of foot, he overcame traffic problems to extend his unbeaten record on synthetics to four so chances are it will take a luckless run to deny him. In an eight-runner field, that looks unlikely, however. Grendisar, second in the Winter Derby, will have to be produced late if he is to stand any chance of turning the tables on Tryster but still rates his biggest danger. Never out of the first two in his last 10 starts, and the winner of three Listed prizes already this winter, he looks an irresistible each-way alternative. Complicit has work to do to close the gap on both rivals after finishing fourth in the Group 3 feature, but that was his first run since December so he may just improve for it.