Investor

There’s no rest for the wicked, it seems. Having unravelled the plots of Cheltenham handicaps last week, the racing calendar today throws the William Hill Lincoln Handicap our way.

No wonder a bookie sponsors the Lincoln – it’s the first big flat race of the year with 30 runners charging like the King’s Royal Hussars over a mile, with the benighted punters guessing about draw bias, form and fitness. If you happen to know a simian with their own set of darts, by all means give them a call.

My masters at the FT pay for a view, so here goes. The ante-post money has chased two horses, Cesare and King’s Majesty. The latter named comes from Sir Michael Stoute’s yard, which sent out Stream of Gold to absolutely bolt up in this race last year. Cesare is highly progressive with equally canny connections. However, both are priced at cramped odds for this crapshoot.

Gentleman’s Deal could be worth a small each-way consideration at a better price. He has the same number of races under his belt as his age (five) so has clearly had problems. But he is bred in the purple, sired by Danehill out of a 1,000 Guineas winning dam, and now may be his chance to make up for lost time.

Far, far away from Redcar, both literally and figuratively, Dubai’s Nad Al Sheba racecourse hosts the world’s richest race and an ‘under-card’ that belies the word. In the big one, the Dubai World Cup, Godolphin’s standard-bearer Electrocutionist simply must be opposed. Even-money on a horse that is badly drawn with limited dirt experience is no price at all. The Yanks have won five from ten renewals and Brass Hat looks the choice. In the Dubai Sheema Classic globetrotting filly Ouija Board can claim her biggest pot yet.

In the interest of transparency, in a week marred by claims of sleaze, I hereby declare that I might also have a little each-way on Benedict in the Lincoln. It is the name of my first-born. Yes, it really is that sort of race.

Selections

3:15 Redcar Gentleman’s Deal (each-way)

7:50 (GMT) Nad Al Sheba Ouija Board (win)

8:20 (GMT) Nad Al Sheba Brass Hat (win)

* Followers of The Investor enjoyed a profitable Cheltenham Festival. He tipped two from three in the Championship races, Brave Inca (7/4 s.p.) in the Champion Hurdle and War of Attrition (15/2 s.p.) in the Gold Cup, as well as Non So, the 14/1 winner of a 24-runner handicap on Thursday.