Alex Hammond blog including tips for Lingfield on Saturday

Yes, just winter, nothing unusual, just your average British winter. It’s disappointing to be losing so many race meetings in this current cold snap, but as someone who grew up in the Peak District I’m well used to harsh winters and since moving South decades ago, I’ve yet to have to dig out a seven-foot snowdrift, so all is well.

Having said that, I’ve softened up over the years and walking the dogs in -9C in the mornings this week has got the blood flowing. Mind you, I interviewed Hayley Turner and was chatting with her about a new addition to her fitness/wellness routine.

She is one of a number of athletes, and regular folk like you and I, that have started to take ice baths. I'll admit to dipping my toe into cold-water therapy, but only as far as a cold shower a day. Maybe I should take the plunge, it would make a walk in -9 with several layers on seem like a stroll in the park. It won’t make me ride like Hayley Turner, but you can't have everything!

Freezing temperatures are something we could do without at the moment and I’m disappointed not to be heading to Ascot for their Christmas meeting this weekend. Instead, I’ll be in the Sky Sports Racing studio to bring you the coverage from Lingfield and Chantilly.

Lingfield’s 'all-weather' fixture hinges on a 7.30am precautionary inspection in anticipation of the chilly forecast. It may be time to contemplate renaming the all-weather, after meetings have been lost this week due to frost. It may not trip off the tongue, but I prefer to refer to it as racing on an artificial or synthetic surface. No surface is immune to the effects of very cold spells and it’s unfair on any racecourse to cop flack when we experience extreme conditions.

If Lingfield gets the go-ahead on Saturday morning, we have a competitive card to look forward to. The feature is the BetUK Quebec Stakes, a Listed race over a mile and a quarter.

Speaking of Hayley Turner, she has a couple of decent rides including in this contest. Just the six have been declared and Turner rides Makinmedoit, a three-year-old filly who gets the allowances for her age and sex.

Whilst she has a bit to find on ratings with the likes of Algiers, Harrovian and Forest of Dean, those allowances (which amount to 7lbs) make for a more level playing field. She’s 7/1 with Sky Bet and that certainly tempts me more than 6/5 about Algiers, even though he bumped into a smart sort in Missed The Cut in the Churchill Stakes last time out.

Makinmedoit is trained by Harry Eustace who has made an excellent impression since he took over the licence from his father James in 2021, and if you’d backed every one of his runners this year, you’d be in profit to the tune of £59.17 to a £1 level stake.

The penultimate race at Lingfield is the TalkSport Winter Oaks Trial, which is actually a handicap for fillies over 10-furlongs.

Last year’s winner Viola is back again for James Fanshawe and Daniel Muscutt, but last year’s race was run at Southwell over 1m3f, and she is 7lbs higher in the weights this time round. That’s not to say she doesn’t act at Lingfield, because she does, but as a filly for whom stamina is her forte, dropping to 10f may not be ideal round this sharp track. Conceding weight to all her rivals may be too big a task and all her rivals are three-year-olds, so are likely to still be improving.

At the opposite end of the stamina scale, Sea Tsarina is stepping up from a mile and trying this trip for the first time. She bombed out on handicap debut over a mile on soft turf at Thirsk on her last start and returns from a three month break here. She has won round here over a mile, so the track holds no fears.

There is plenty to recommend Queen Of Ipanema who has been a handicap revelation for George Boughey. She’s won all five starts since moving into this grade, coupled with stepping up to middle distance trips. She’s effective over this mile and a quarter but makes her first visit to Lingfield. It’s hard to know whether she has reached her ceiling yet, but it’s unlikely that her winning spree has come to an end. She entered at Southwell next week, so maybe the plan is to turn her out again quickly should she win here.

Champion jockey William Buick won on her last time out and is on-board again.

Hayley Turner’s other ride on the card comes on Tequilamockingbird for Charlie Fellowes. She has been nudged up just 1lb for a narrow win over course and distance last time out. Hayley knows this filly thanks to their run in the Racing League at Southwell this year and she gets back on board for the first time since then.

Sweet Fantasy needed cheekpieces to register her first win, which came over 12f at Southwell last time out. She has been incredibly consistent prior to that but had failed to land that blow. Whether they will be as effective second time remains to be seen.

The final runner in the line-up is Tahasun and she beat Sweet Fantasy on her most recent start. The pair should be closely matched again on revised ratings.

It’s a tricky race to weigh up but I’m going to side with Queen Of Ipanema because it’s hard to oppose a filly who is improving at the rate she is. She’s 2/1 favourite with Sky Bet, but if you think she can win easily they have her at 13/2 to win by 2 lengths or more.

Let’s hope the Christmas racing schedule isn’t affected too much by the weather. I’m very much looking forward to heading to Chepstow for the Coral Welsh Grand National on the 27th. If we don’t speak before, have a peaceful Christmas and see you on the other side.

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