TITLE HOPES GO HEAD TO HEAD
THE Flat jockeys’ title race switches to Lingfield today where champion Silvestre De Sousa and challenger Jim Crowley will be going head to head.
De Sousa, who won twice from three rides at Epsom Downs yesterday, leads by two over Crowley, who also had a couple of victories at Goodwood.
The champ has five rides on the card, while Crowley has four chances and the battle for the crown looks like going right down to the wire.
Lingfield racegoers as well as armchair and betting shop viewers will be in for a tasty treat as the pair face off against each other three times on the seven-race card.
I fancy they will finish with one winner apiece with De Sousa scoring on SKYLARK LADY (2.10) and Crowley hitting back on ROYS DREAM (3.40), who should have the measure of De Sousa’s mount Princess Way.
For the best bet of the day I stay at Lingfield, where I reckon both of the title contenders will be hard pressed to beat RECONCILLIATION (2.40, nap), who will be partnered by in-form Oisin Murphy.
Ed Vaughan’s juvenile has improved with every run and was not beaten far at Pontefract last time and this looks a good opportunity for him to lose his maiden tag.
Also at Lingfield, I am siding with CELESTATION (4.40, nb), who was a decent fourth in a valuable York maiden on only his second run. That form is good enough to give him the edge here.
Georgia Cox should have a winner at Bath aboard LAPILLI (3.00, treble), who was impressive at Yarmouth just over a week ago, scoring by three lengths despite pulling hard in the early stages.
I don’t think a 6lb penalty will be enough to stop the William Haggas-trained threeyear-old from following up.