ITV Racing Tips: Migration can fly home in the Lincoln
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The Flat is back today as Doncaster hosts the first Flat meeting on turf of the year, and its first big race, the Lincoln.
Apart from the Grand National meeting in two weeks and the Jumps Finale meeting at Sandown at the end of April, it will be all Flat racing from here until the autumn.
Doncaster kicks off proceedings with an 18-runner field of newcomers contesting the Brocklesby Stakes, the first two-year-old race on grass.
The action is shared with an all-weather card at Kempton where the highlight is the Listed Magnolia Stakes.
There are seven TV races all together with the action beginning at 13:30 and we have previewed three of the day’s significant races in our ITV Racing Tips.
A good field for this Listed contest is headed by Secret State who finished second in the Great Voltigeur Stakes last year and returns as a gelding.
That is much the best form, but he steps down to 1m2f here. He has won over the trip but may be vulnerable to a speedier rival.
Tyrrhenian Sea could be that horse. He was campaigned mostly at a mile last year but on a return to this trip he chased home Lord North at Lingfield and with that run under his belt can make the most of his fitness advantage.
The consolation race for the Lincoln is a 22-runner affair as difficult to solve as its parent race. Baltimore Boy just missed the cut for the Lincoln and, having shown progressive form last year, could be the answer.
He ran his first four races on an all-weather track but on his first try on turf, he ran second in an Ascot handicap, making up a lot of ground to finish in the money. He will get the ease in the ground he needs and could take this on the way to better things.
William Haggas needs one more win to become the most successful trainer ever in this race, having won it four times already, so his runners must always be respected.
He has Al Mubhir, the favourite, and Montassib, who fit the profile of potential race winners as they could still be unexposed. But experience of such a competitive race could count more, an asset top weight Migration brings.
The seven-year-old only raced three times last year, running best first time out at Newbury when beaten a neck for the Spring Cup. He goes best on soft ground, has a top apprentice taking 3lb off and having won over further will be finishing strongly at the end.
ITV Racing Schedule, Saturday 1st April
13:50 Doncaster – Brocklesby Stakes
14:05 Kempton – Magnolia Stakes
14:25 Doncaster – Spring Mile
14:40 Kempton – 1m Handicap
15:00 Doncaster – Cammidge Trophy
15:15 Kempton – Queen’s Prize
15:35 Doncaster – Lincoln
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
