Oh this is us – we hope

I haven’t the greatest of records in the Lincoln Handicap, although Star Of A Gunner was handy and King’s Ride did not go unbacked when Bill Wightman finally added the race to his long list of big handicap successes. I may have been unlucky with Chuckaroo, one of my favourite horses of the time, who was drawn out wide the only time they ran the race on the round course; needless to say, he was struck into as he tried to get across and missed many a month.

I haven’t the greatest of records in the Lincoln Handicap, although Star Of A Gunner was handy and King’s Ride did not go unbacked when Bill Wightman finally added the race to his long list of big handicap successes. I may have been unlucky with Chuckaroo, one of my favourite horses of the time, who was drawn out wide the only time they ran the race on the round course; needless to say, he was struck into as he tried to get across and missed many a month.

When I looked at the entries on Wednesday OH THIS IS US made immediate appeal. Sure to be fit from Meydan and only 4lb higher than when winning over seven furlongs here last autumn, he stays a mile and must surely have each-way claims. I fancied him before learning that Ryan Moore would be in the saddle; this is a mixed blessing because it shows Richard Hannon is sweet on the horse but the 14/1 is now optimistic, to say the least.As I wrote in the weekend card, WITHERNSEA comes across as a very, very small saver bet. He is probably better at shorter and seemed to be losing his way in the second half of last season but he is exactly the type to be trained to the minute by Richard Fahey and gets in by the skin of his teeth. Some of his form over seven furlongs takes the eye and he will be quite a price.

As I wrote in the weekend card, WITHERNSEA comes across as a very, very small saver bet. He is probably better at shorter and seemed to be losing his way in the second half of last season but he is exactly the type to be trained to the minute by Richard Fahey and gets in by the skin of his teeth. Some of his form over seven furlongs takes the eye and he will be quite a price.

It’s so easy to miss the target where Hannon and Fahey are concerned because they have so many runners and choosing between them is not easy. Fahey is mob-handed in some races and I just edge towards his ANOTHER TOUCH in the Silver Mile but there are countless dangers. Where Hannon’s TOPI in the opening Cammidge Trophy is concerned, I feel he is the type to cost us money over the months to come but he might easily be up for this and Moore is the man on board again.

With Amanda Perrett taking Fui Sheng out of the Magnolia I am not left with much at Kempton. ALDEBURGH’s new owner is not wild about the Flat but the horse will only win a small hurdle on fast ground. At Twiston-Davies’ they must have persuaded him to let him have a crack at the mile and three furlong handicap and although he can be only a tiny punt in a seven-runner field I can tell you that the last run over hurdies is totally irrelevant because it was run in bad ground, while he pulled too hard when reappearing on the level at Wolverhampton. He could go close at a big price in this.