Stuccodor will have both history and topweight to defy if he is to record back-to-back victories in Sunday’s Tote Lincolnshire on the opening day of Ireland’s 2015 turf flat season at the Curragh.
Dermot Weld’s versatile six year old justified 11-2 favouritism to win the €100,000 highlight in 2014 and the trainer has indicated an attempt to defend the prize is marginally favoured over a trip to Doncaster on Saturday for the English Lincoln.
Weld’s other entry among a total of 29 horses left in the Lincolnshire is Defining Year, seventh in the race last season. He has issued a favourable report on Stuccodor’s recent work. However Stuccodor is due to carry 10.1 in the race and it is almost 70 years since the last horse to win the Lincolnshire back-to-back, Beauford in 1945-46.
Four starts
A total of four cross-channel entries is led by the second topweight, the George Baker trained Boomshacklerlacker, while Aidan O’Brien has left in Bishan Bedi who carries the colours of his wife, Annemarie.
Bishan Bedi has won two of his four starts for O’Brien who won the Lincolnshire in 1997 with Toast The Spreece. Paddy Power make Unsinkable and Onenighidreamed their initial 7-1 joint-favourites for the Lincolnshire.
There are 17 possibles left in the Group Three Lodge Park Stud Park Express Stakes after the latest declaration stage including a trio of Ballydoyle runners, Wedding Vow, Cocoon and Easter who is a 25-1 shot in some lists for this year’s Oaks.
Among the older contenders is Avenue Gabriel, fourth in last year’s 1,000 Guineas at HQ, who wound up 2014 with an impressive Listed success in the Garnet Stakes at Naas in October.
“I think there’s plenty more to come from her. She has wintered very well,” said trainer Paul Deegan. “She’s a dual listed winner and this looks an obvious race for her and a lovely starting point and she definitely goes there with a chance although she’ll come on for the run like most of them will ,” he added.
A post-race workout by many of Aidan O’Brien’s top horses has become a feature of the Curragh’s first day of the season in recent years and manager Paul Hensey confirmed: “Aidan has booked in a big team of horses to gallop after racing and I suspect they will include many of the favourites for this season’s Classic races.”
Dubai World Cup favourite California Chrome delighted his connections in a 5am spin on the dirt track at Meydan on Tuesday. Working under the floodlights, the chestnut looked impressive.
