Best bets for the horse racing Saturday 9th January at Lingfield Park and Chelmsford City

As I have all week, I am sticking to the All-Weather for my bets this weekend. The weather has taken a toll on a number of meetings this week but fingers are crossed for all the meetings to go ahead Saturday with Chepstow and Wincanton likely to inspect but odds-on to race.

We actually had a light dusting of snow down my way Friday morning but it didn’t last long and didn’t settle, so the going in the grounds of Triple G Towers remains soft on the lawn, heavy in places on the veg patch!  

It’s a morning start with the first at Lingfield Park due off at 11.30 but the first of interest to me is the 1.05 the 1m2f betyourway At Betway Handicap. El Ghazwani has plenty of form over track and trip and is only a pound higher in the ratings than his last win back in February. He didn’t get home over the 1m4f in December and as a 6-time C&D winner has to be shortlisted but might be better to watch for now having not won on 11 months. Four-year-old filly Make It Rain is relatively lightly raced and put in a career best when winning at Wolverhampton 14 days ago. Won over track and trip in November and is the one open to improvement again yet. Simon and Ed Crisford have their string in fair form and I think she can nick this and have taken the 5-2.  

The 2.15 is arguably race of the day the 1m4f Betway Handicap. Raymond Tusk is the class act lining-up and on his best form would win despite top-weight and a rating of 102. They have tried him over further a couple of times now but I am not convinced he truly gets two-mile. This is his Polytrack debut and blinkers are on for the first time, if he goes on the surface and the blinkers get him to knuckle down the six-year-old could take this open looking affair. On the face of it his last run at Newcastle over two-mile looks disappointing but he was going best turning-in before fading in the straight. Tom Marquand takes over in the saddle and I have taken a chance at 4-1. As I say it is an open looking race with Autumn War and Scarlet Dragon two most feared.  

The meeting at Chelmsford City was planned to be Twilight meet but was moved forward to the afternoon on Thursday by the BHA with the weather forecast in mind. Two new contests were also added meaning it will be a nine-race card and they have some tricky heats. I do fancy one though in the 2.34 the 7f betfred.com Casino Handicap. Alminoor was going the right way with form figures of 2,1,2,1,1 before disappointing last time at Lingfield but if you ignore that a frontrunning track and trip win on his penultimate start gives him every chance. Lightly raced for a four-year-old there is every chance this mark of 87 is workable and he has the opportunity of getting a nice spot in or near the lead with most of the early pace horses lining-up drawn wide. I am on at 6-1.  

And that is the three for Saturday afternoon.

Be lucky