Select Fahey team clue to faith in Gabrial’s Lincoln chance

Richard Fahey has tipped form scholars a wink in their search for the winner of the Lincoln Handicap in saddling only one teammate for his 6/1 favourite Gabrial’s Kaka.

The Yorkshireman has often thrown the kitchen sink at the race in recent years with five runners in 2009, six in 2011, and three last year.

Yet his sole win in the race came in 2012 when serial Lincoln medallist Brae Hill took the laurels as the Fahey yard’s only representative.

Building on that success in the 2013 renewal by sending out the third and fourth, the Malton handler seems to have ascertained the recipe for the preparation of a serious challenger in the flat season’s traditional jump off.

This year he’s chosen to back up Gabrial’s Kaka with just one colleague, the 25/1 shot Hi There.

Stable jockey Tony Hamilton, who should know a thing or two about the feel of a Lincoln contender having ridden Brae Hill to three consecutive medals in the race, has selected the former.

Less exposed than some and owned by Dr Marwan Koukash, who loves a winner in these big northern handicaps, the four-year-old posted some strong form on his final start of last campaign when a length and three quarters second to Seek Again.

John Gosden’s colt advertised the worth of that performance in no uncertain fashion when landing a raid on the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on his next run.

While that may not have been the strongest of top-level tussles, two of the next three home won their following assignment in Graded company to leave Seek Again on an official rating of 113.

Stalled in between 8/1 shot Off Art, who racked up a hat-trick at the end of last season, and 2011 winner Sweet Lightning, Gabrial’s Kaka should get a good lead in to the race off his modest mark of 95.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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