Weekend Racing Preview April 2nd and 3rd

The traditional start of the flat season is marked by the prestigious £100,000 Lincoln handicap and this year’s renewal is once again at Doncaster racecourse on Saturday. The race has an illustrious history of horses, trainers and owners and was won last year by the heavily supported favourite Penitent, for William Haggas for Chevely Park Stud.

The race has 22 runners declared and the warm favourite is the John Gosden trained Taqleed, who is a potential group horse, masquerading as a handicapper. He looks promising, but his current price looks a bit skinny and the value is elsewhere, and most notably those trained by Richard Fahey. The Malten trainer has 5 runners, and there are two notable standouts, the first being last years runner up PRIME EXHIBIT who warmed up nicely for this, finishing 2 lengths third behind Lowther in the Lincoln Trial. He will be receiving 7lb in the weights and Lee Topliss takes a very valuable 5lb off too. Penitent who he finished behind in this last year went on to win and place in Listed Races, and horses down in this race have also come out and ran well, further franking the form. Fahey also trains Brae Hill, Harrison George, Irish Heartbeat and our other selection OUR JOE MAC, who showed a great deal of promise when finishing 13^th of 14^th in the Irish Lincoln. That was his first race for 183 days and was travelling strongly before fading and tiring at the 2 furlong mark. That run should have him cherry ripe for the day, and both selections look to have very strong each way chances.

There is a good all weather card at Kempton Park as well Saturday, including two listed races, and could prove to be yet another successful day for the John Gosden and William Buick partnership. However the best bet there is Christmas Aria, for the progressing partnership of Hayley Turner riding for Simon Dow and runs in the 5.40, or as Derrick Thompson would say, the lucky last! Christmas Aria made a good start to handicapping with a solid third last time out, and he is progressing with every run, and runs into a weak race, and runs off the same handicap mark for that third last week.

ST NICHOLAS ABBEY makes his anticipated and long awaited return at the Curragh Sunday and he is most definitely one to keep an eye of as Ballydoyle aim to focus on their older horses this season. With the likes of Fame and Glory, Cape Blanco and Australian import So You Think, there seems to be a distinct shift and the Racing Post Trophy winner can be the spearhead. The long time ante post favourite for the 1000 guineas was written off after finishing sixth, but people forget how strong the form turned out to be. He finished sixth behind Makfi, Canford Cliffs and Dick Turpin, all of whom went on to win subsequent Group 1 races. Xtension ran creditably in group races, and the Craven winner Elusive Pimpernel has yet to be seen again. St Nicholas Abbey will take all the beating in the Alleged Listed Stakes Sunday, officially rated 14lb better than his closest rival, the Dermot Weld trained Cashelgar, imported from the Alan De Royer Dupre yard in France.

Prime Exhibit and Our Joe Mac – 3.10 Doncaster (EW)

Christmas Aria – 5.40 Kempton

St Nicholas Abbey - 4.00 Curragh (Sunday)

The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner