Simon and Ed Crisford Can Claim Two on the All Weather
The abandonment of Haydock and Newcastle has led to ITV Racing’s cameras being re-routed to Chelmsford and Lingfield on Saturday. A busy show will see eight flat races on an artificial ‘Polytrack’ surface broadcast live between 1.15 pm and 3.15 pm.
The Simon and Ed Crisford training partnership has four entries on the day. We believe their Newmarket stable can enjoy an across-the-card double courtesy of Baahill and Algiers. The latter goes in the highest quality race of the day, a £25,000 Lingfield Listed contest due off at 3.33 pm.
Ed and Simon Crisford have their string in fine form and should be amongst the winners on Saturday. ©GettyImages
Back-Class and Form Makes Algiers the Best Bet
Only six horses will go to post for the 10-furlong contest. Amongst those is the Godolphin-owned Forest Of Dean. But the Dubai outfit may have to fare second best to a horse they once owned, Algiers.
Formerly trained in France by Andre Fabre, Algiers was transferred to his present trainers in January 2022. During the summer of 2021, the horse won at Listed level and was placed in a brace of Group 3 contest. But new connections immediately got a return on their investment when Algiers won the Group-3 Jebel Ali Mile.
And last month, he was touched off by a short head in a Listed contest over Saturday’s course and distance. It was a sound effort as his rider, Robert Havlin, made a lot of use of Algiers, and the horse that collared him on the line was an impressive winner at Royal Ascot.
Forest Of Dean and another Saturday rival, Harrovian, were also in this contest and were beaten decisively. On that form, it is difficult to argue that they can reverse the placings, and their stable – that of John and Thady Gosden – has been on an uncharacteristic poor run of form during December.
In Form or No Form, Baahill Looks Best
Conversely, Simon and Ed Crisford are in fine fettle and have turned out three winners and five placed horses from their last eight runners. And so, there are no good grounds to oppose Algiers in Lingfield’s concluding contest.
Twelve minutes later, in the 3.45 pm race – a Betfred sponsored maiden stake at Chelmsford – the stable can strike again with Baahill, find more about this sponsor at our Betfred online bookies review. On paper, this appears a poor race. Three runners have shown little ability, and Sir Mark Prescott’s representative is unraced and bred to appreciate much further than Saturday’s six-furlong trip.
Hey Lyla is the horse with the best form and will trade at short odds with the horse racing betting sites, but a string of placed efforts without winning is always concerning. Therefore, the Crisford’s Baahill gets the vote. This unraced son of Kingman – who demands a £125,000 stud fee – is out a 107-rated Listed race-winning mare.
If the young colt is anything like as good as his pedigree suggests, Baahill should make a winning debut. If he is half as good, victory is still more likely than probable.
Earlier in the day, Wigmore Street is another unraced runner in another two-year-old contest representing the same Newmarket stable. A half-brother to eight winners and the only booked ride for Jamie Spencer, he is an interesting debutant for his in-form yard.
But, in Lingfield’s 12.40 pm contest there are some capable horses. And one, the officially 90-rated Charlie Appleby-trained Golden Speech, will prove a tough nut to crack.
Saturday’s Best Bets
- Algiers 3.33 pm Lingfield
- Baahill 3.45 pm Chelmsford
- Golden Speech 12.40 pm Lingfield
