Saturday Horse Racing Tips: Tom Collins has two Lingfield picks

A Saturday afternoon without horse racing action on the turf - whether that’s flat or jumps - will always pale into insignificance when compared to bigger sporting events. 

As much as we want to watch top-class contests from Ascot, Haydock and Newcastle this weekend, little can be done to make those tracks raceable when we have been dealt an extreme cold snap. Nevertheless, punters will hopefully get the chance to play up a few Christmas pennies on the all-weather action at Lingfield (providing the course passes a 7.30am inspection).

The feature is the Listed Quebec Stakes (3.33), a 1m2f contest that has been won by the likes of Wissahickon (2018), Dubai Warrior (2019) and Sangarius (2020) in recent years. This end-of-year stakes race is usually used as a stepping stone towards the Winter Derby or All-Weather Championships Finals day in the new year, hence the impressive roll of honour.

John Gosden is often well represented in this £45,000 affair, and he has two entries this time around in the form of Harrovian and Forest Of Dean. Both six-year-olds ran respectably when last seen in the Churchill Stakes over this course and distance last month, where they finished third and fifth respectively.

Harrovian, who looks the best of Gosden’s pair, is a major player in this race but he will have to reverse recent form with likely market leader Algiers, which doesn’t seem very likely given three-and-a-quarter lengths split the pair last time out and the latter received a pretty inefficient ride.

Algiers, who has only had three starts in England after spells in France and Dubai, was ridden aggressively by Rab Havlin last time and tracked early pacesetter Majestic Dawn, who was keen and set quick, sub 12-second fractions from nine furlongs out to the five-furlong pole. That runner eventually faded out of the back of the TV to finish over 32 lengths behind the eventual winner. 

Algiers wouldn’t have benefitted from sitting so close to the speed, yet he still kicked off the homebend and looked a good thing to rack up his first all-weather British victory. However, George Boughey’s Royal Ascot hero Missed The Cut, who was returning after a break, proved too strong in the dying strides and chinned him on the wire.

Given the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Algiers had to venture into the red at two different points in that race, it was remarkable that he almost won. And, with a lack of likely front-runners in the Quebec Stakes on Saturday, there is every chance that he will be able to dictate matters at a slower gallop, thus saving energy for the final four furlongs. If that’s the case, I would be surprised if he lost. 

My only other selection on the card is Tim Kent’s Obsidian Knight, who runs in the 1m4f handicap (12.05 Lingfield) that kickstarts the meeting.

There is a distinct lack of pace in this race, which won’t be ideal for Obsidian Knight, but I don’t think that it will inconvenience him as much as it will hinder some of his biggest dangers - Barenboim and Silverscape, to name two.

Obsidian Knight remains lightly raced after just 10 starts and has recorded both of his career successes at this venue, which gives you plenty of confidence. He ran a great race last time when he finished second behind Queen Of Ipanema, who has completed a five-timer and runs in the Winter Oaks Trial (3.00 Lingfield), and this rates a much easier task back at his favourite course.

The booking of William Buick is a big positive and I don’t mind his draw in stall one, although he will have to negotiate his way out on the turn for home to exploit his useful turn of foot.

Saturday All-Weather Tips

Obsidian Knight (12.05 Lingfield) @ 3.7
Algiers (3.33 Lingfield) @ 2.32