'We've got Hollie Doyle on board, which is always a plus' - confidence high for favourite stepping up in grade

You have no excuse for not knowing these horses. Good turf sprinters become old friends in the summer, they will turn up almost weekly in the warmer months. Your mind need not take much jolting to recall Bedford Flyer's prodigious pace, or Alligator Alley's change of gear.

We may not be used to seeing them all meet at Lingfield, but they are not short of course experience, either. Between them, they have run 30 times at Lingfield and recorded eight wins.

Admittedly, One Night Stand — 4-11 at Lingfield — does a lot of the lifting there. He has weight carrying concerns of another sort, though. He is 4lb out of the handicap, all told a stone higher than when he won over course and distance on December 23.

This is, likewise, a major step up in grade for Diomed Spirit. He is the least exposed in the field and is 4-4 since returning from a short break and switching to the all-weather in October. None of his recent wins has been at Lingfield, although he did win a maiden here in 2022.

There are a couple of course maidens higher up the weights who warrant attention. In this race last year, Silky Wilkie was a short-head second to Embour, taking his form figures at the track to 222. He is now rated 11lb higher, but that is because he improved vastly in the 2023 turf season. 

He ran away with the Scottish Sprint Cup, was just touched off in the Dash at Epsom, and was twice second at Listed level, including the Beverley Bullet. He has not run since September but, given he had been on the go for almost a year to that point, his absence needs little explanation.

Bergerac has never run at Lingfield. He has been a revelation elsewhere on the all-weather this season, having been handicapped during a deplorable turf campaign in 2023. His win at Southwell last time over subsequent five-length winner Hiya Maite, reads especially well. Even though he has been winning good races of late, taking this would more than double his seasonal prize-money haul.

Lingfield's five-furlong track quickly moves into the first bend, so early positions can be of huge importance. It is no coincidence that the most successful horses here in this field, One Night Stand and Bedford Flyer, are generally prominent racers.

Bedford Flyer, having drawn stall one, could be seen as a subtle boost to his chances. You would not be alone in that assessment. Although low-numbered stalls have a sound record over five furlongs, in bigger field races they do much the worst once prices are taken into account. In other words, low-drawn horses have a tendency to be overbet.
Analysis by Keith Melrose

'He's working well and I'm very happy with him'

Having been beaten a matter of inches when a strong-finishing short-head second last year, Silky Wilkie carries plenty of hope 12 months on.

Middleham Park's sprinter went on from that near miss to win at Kempton and land the Scottish Sprint Cup at Musselburgh, before going close in the Epsom Dash and a couple of Listed races.

Those fine efforts mean he has top weight as he returns from a three-and-a-half-month break, and starts 2024 off a mark 11lb higher than last year.

Silky Wilkie: attempts to go one place better than last yearCredit: Warren Little

But trainer Karl Burke said: "He's working well and I'm very happy with him. He's got the weight because he's a good horse. He should run a big race.

"He runs well fresh, there's a lot of pace in the race, and he stays six furlongs. There's speed on our inside, in one, two, four and five, so I think they're going to go very quick and that should play to his strengths. He finishes off the race well."

What they say

Roger Teal, trainer of Chipstead
It will be tricky from his draw. He's in good order and seems to have come out of his win at Kempton well. The trip isn't a worry but it's been made a bit harder by being drawn in nine. I just hope we can get a decent break and a good track position.

Adam Ryan, son of Bergerac's trainer Kevin Ryan
He was a fresh horse after the wet summer. He got a couple of wins under his belt at the end of the year and he's in great form. He's back to his old self. He's still below his career-high mark and I expect a big run from him.

David O'Meara, trainer of Alligator Alley
He's been in reasonable form on the all-weather. I think Lingfield is a track that suits him well, but he's got a widish draw, so he might be up against it.

Mick Appleby, trainer of Bedford Flyer
He's in good order and has run well round Lingfield before. It's a decent draw and he's on a decent enough mark. He's well capable of winning off 93.

Mick Appleby: runs Bedford Flyer at Lingfield on Saturday

Charlie Fellowes, trainer of Clearpoint
It's a competitive race but he ran well last time at Southwell, where he got slightly punished for chasing the pace, and would probably have held on for second if he hadn't attacked so early. He'll be suited by going back round a bend and I hope he'll run well.   

John Quinn, trainer of Lord Riddiford
He's been running well and he likes Lingfield. He's got a nice draw and he goes there with a chance.

Stuart Williams, trainer of Diomed Spirit
He's been in great form. He's been creeping up the handicap but he's steadily improving with it. This is another step up in grade and it's a very good race, but I hope he'll run well. He's won at Lingfield before and we've got Hollie Doyle on board, which is always a plus.
Reporting by David Carr

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