THEY’RE OFF ON THE FLAT! The 2026 Flat turf season launches today with the Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh. The Doncaster Lincoln Handicap is two weeks away on March 28 and the Liverpool Grand National on April 11. Today’s headlines:
MURPHY RIDES A CRACKER
THE KLIMT KISS OF FAME
BULA LOOKS A BEAUTY..
MURPHY RIDES A CRACKER
⭕ 4.20 Curragh (Irish Lincolnshire) Only William Haggas with Lattam (2023) has been able to poach this first big handicap prize from under Irish eyes.
But Richard Hughes has booked British champion jockey, Killarney-born Oisin Murphy, and it’s Whip Cracker away from a potentially handy stall 7.
Tony Martin won last year from 27 with Orandi under Shane Foley, beaten only a neck at Doncaster for a Lincoln double.
Ryan Moore rides Orandi (now in stall 13) with Foley next door on Norwalk Havoc (14) for Jessica Harrington but I shall go for extremes of the draw on this heavy ground.
Tuscan Hills (4), beaten only four lengths in the Dante and down the field in the Epsom Derby, has been well backed for this.
The four-year-old loves it soft and David Egan has been booked by Mullingar trainer Robson De Agular.
Another ace striker from Brazil, he is currently scoring at a rate of 33% with 10 AW winners since being granted his licence in November.
With big-field winning form at the Curragh, Engines On (26) has had this race as target since half-a-length third in the Irish Cambridgeshire. Chris Hayes rides.
Betdaq Betting Exchange 8.9 Whip Cracker, 17.5 Tuscan Hills, 20 Engines On
THE KLIMT KISS OF FAME
⭕ 2.00 Curragh The first Aidan O’Brien two-year-old on the scene is Monmouth, a son of Kingman out of a sister to Irish Guineas placed Gustav Klimt.
He is taking the first strides under Ryan Moore to what was last year a £7m haul from 112 winners for the champion trainer. BETDAQ 3.4.
⭕ 3.10 Curragh Back Down Under, a winner on the card first time out 12 months ago, is back for Padraig Roche under his nephew Leigh in this 6f handicap. BETDAQ 10.0.
The Australia mare is the number-one Flat horse for Padraig, who won the Fred Winter at Cheltenham with Saratoga.
BULA LOOKS A BEAUTY..
⭕ 3.55 Chepstow Rula Bula has won twice after summer breaks and Jonjo O’Neill is hoping that 76 days is long enough to let her down and get her right again after she may have run again too soon, beaten favourite at Newbury after scoring at Carlisle in November.
Or was it more that Kim Bailey’s winner that day, White Noise, was always going to take the race apart, as suggested by his 40-1 sensation at Cheltenham on Friday. BETDAQ 9.4.
DAQMAN’S BETS
on Betdaq Betting Exchange
2.00 Curragh (win 10
BET 4pts win MONMOUTH
3.10 Curragh (win 30)
BET 3pts win BACK DOWN UNDER
★ 3.55 Chepstow (win 25, nap)
BET 3pts win RULA BULA
4.20 Curragh (win-50 bull’s-eye bets)
BET 6.25pts win WHIP CRACKER
BET 3pts win TUSCAN HILLS
BET 2.5pts win ENGINES ON
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