4.10 Curragh: Irish Lincoln
Preview
It’s finally back, the flat season! Whilst we wait another week in the UK, we do have the satisfaction of heading over to the Curragh for the first day of the Irish turf flat with the big race, as always, being the Irish Lincoln & it’s fair to say that it’s a tough start. There’s nothing easy about this; a field of 24, very soft ground, fitness & a question over whether they’ll tack over to the stands side in the straight are all puzzles that need solving.
Favourites
There’s been a gamble on Gee Rex & he looks likely to go off favourite but the price has gone. In form over hurdles so no question marks over wellbeing but he has plenty to find on his best form on the level & jockeys receiving a claim have a poor record in this. Ger Lyons has won this race twice in the past 4 years & he teams up with Colin Keane with second favourite Maker Of Kings. He’s progressed well but continues to rise in the handicap & that mark looks worse now the excellent 7lb claimer Sam Ewing is no longer aboard. He shouldn’t be far away but is opposable at the price.
Special Offer
Open up a Betfair account to get up to £100 in free bets!! Click the image below for this outstanding offer! New accounts only.
New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. Payment restrictions apply. T&Cs apply.
Contenders
Casanova is one of two interesting ones for last year’s winning trainer Ado McGuinnes but he’s more likely to be suited by 7 furlongs & it seems that the trainer is suggesting he’ll win a big handicap this season but this may not be the one. Godhead is his other one & he has an each way chance whilst Lobo Rojo nearly made the cut but has a disappointing run last time to overcome. Last year’s Cambrigeshire was a good race with the 1-2-3-4 Laughifuwant, Quizical, Breaking Story & Agitare all in opposition here again but they all have poor draws & are better saved for another day. In fact, all 4 should probably go on a horses to follow list.
Betting
In such a tough race, we’re going with 2. It’s worth noting that this race is rarely won by anything outside the first 6 in the betting so we’re sticking the fancied runners with our first bet being antepost favourite Teed Up. He’s seen the track 6 times, all last year, & has never finished outside of the first 2. It took him 3 runs to get off the mark & then won a rated race at Galway but was transformed in handicaps on soft or heavy ground. He was 2nd over 9 furlongs at Tipperary behind Maker Of Kings & is now 3lbs better off with that rival for just over a length. That 3lbs is actually 10lb if you account for the jockey’s claim. He looked the most likely at the furlong pole & despite sticking on gamely, the extra furlong perhaps didn’t suit. He made amends next time out, is just 3lbs higher here &, unlike many of his main rivals, has been handed a good draw in 6. If he’s fully tuned up, he should go very close.
Our second selection is another consistent type with Layfayette, only twice out of the first 3 in 9 career starts. He’s another to have been given a decent draw in 5 & has claims from a decent mark. Stamina is assured as he’s been running over further, something that can be a big advantage in a race of this nature & the ground is perfect for him. On his last 3 starts in soft ground handicaps, he’s finished 1-2-2 off marks of 84-88-89 & gets in here off 90. Gelded over the winter & cheekpieces on first time are positives & with career soft ground form of 2-1-2-2 versus 0-1-9-3-3 on better ground, he’s got plenty going for him with the big question mark, as usual, being whether he’s ready to roll after 5 months off.
Tips
Back Teed Up (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 7.00 Skybet BOG (⅕ odds 1-7)
WON – Back Layfayette (e/w) for a 0.75/10 stake at 11.00 Skybet BOG (⅕ odds 1-7)
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2021
