Sunday Irish Preview: Texas to Rock Irish Lincoln

The Flat is rolling back into town, and Ireland’s first turf racing of 2017 takes place this Sunday. The venue is not the usual home of Irish Flat racing, however, as like many of the bigger fixtures this season, the meeting has been moved from its normal home of the Curragh due to redevelopment work at that track.

Despite the new venue, the race has something of a familiar feel, with regular Irish Lincoln runners such as Aussie Valentine (second in last year’s renewal from 5 lb lower in the weights) and Canary Row (third in 2014 and fifth in 2015) in the field.

Aforementioned regular Canary Row has fallen to an interesting mark given that he has posted respectable efforts in this race in previous years from marks in the mid-90s and is worth considering, though at a similar price Texas Rock arguably makes more appeal. Texas Rock was thriving at the end of last season and produced a big career-best when winning a seven-furlong handicap at the Curragh (from a subsequent winner) on his final start of the season. He shaped as if he would come on for his reappearance effort in a minor event at Dundalk earlier in March (travelled well before fading and wasn’t knocked about), and could build on his last win now back on turf with that under his belt.

The pair that stand out in terms of overall profile are Dermot Weld’s Sikandarabad, who is the ante-post favourite, and Jim Bolger’s Stenographer. Sikandarabad won a maiden at Galway in July last year before posting a much-improved effort to finish second in the Irish Cambridgeshire over a mile at the Curragh in August on his handicap debut. Given that big effort, it was not overly surprising that he was below form on his next start at Leopardstown, which came just 13 days later, and he is well worth another chance now back from a break with his visor re-fitted. This is just his third start in handicaps, and he should have even more to offer as a four-year-old. He could make a bit of a mockery of this mark (just 1 lb above the one he finished second from in the Cambridgeshire) if improving for his break, but his price isn’t all that inspiring in such a big field. Stenographer also has one standout bit of form, though his close second in a muddling four-runner listed race at Leopardstown is probably not as solid as Sikandarabad’s second in a hotly contested handicap. That said, Stenographer – who held a French Guineas entry when running in that Leopardstown race – is bred to be better than a mark of 91 and his backers will no doubt take encouragement from the fact that he won his maiden on this card (at the Curragh) last season.

Others to mention include Sea Wolf – the winner of the Irish Cambridgeshire in which Sikandarabad was second – who did fairly well from a poor draw in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot on his last start, and Gentil J, who was progressing well at the end of last season and could yet have more to offer.

Overall, however, the two most interesting runners are arguably Sikandarabad and Stenographer, though they look about right in the market, and the one that makes the most betting appeal is Texas Rock, who was thriving at the end of last season and should strip fitter for his reappearance at Dundalk earlier this month.

Recommendation:

Back Texas Rock in the Irish Lincoln Handicap at Naas on Sunday 26th March at 14/1