It’s the official start of the flat racing season this weekend and normally I’d say it’s a time to keep your powder dry.
But the Lincoln is difficult to resist, especially when you’ve arguably got a black type horse in the making in LORD GLITTERS bidding to collect another big handicap prize. He put in a scintillating performance to claim the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day last season and he looks a major player for this.
There are plenty of unexposed dangers in the shape of four-year-olds Fire Brigade and Addeybb who are capable of going close, and there are a couple of fitter horses benefitting from runs over in Meydan like Grey Britain that might go well under the conditions.
But they will all have to step-up to beat the French import, who has his conditions here, and the form of Lord Glitters unlucky second to Bravo Zolo on his final start last season in a small runner Listed affair (that wasn’t run to suit) has been working out well.
The winner has since run to a high level in Meydan, finishing not too far behind the Hampton Court Stakes winner Benbatle, and the fourth placed horse Oh This Is Us has also been successful in Dubai this year.
Lord Glitters could have been sent for the Listed Doncaster Mile on the same card which is a small field. Instead they have opted for the bigger-field, and I think that is the right move as he should be able to get a stronger pace to aid his hold up tactics on the testing ground.
The slight negative could be the yard’s recent form with David O’Meara failing to train a winner from 74 runners in 2018, but he has hit the crossbar plenty of times and is not the most prolific of all-weather trainers in any case.
He returns to the turf with a potential star, and it’s difficult to imagine his top string out of the places with his draw in stall nine, where Danny Tudhope has plenty of options.
1pt each-way Lord Glitters @6/1, 15:35 Doncaster, Saturday (four places, 1/4 various bookmakers)