Opening Show ITV4: SACRED SUNDAY MARCH 24th CH4 WEATHER WATCH SNOW HAZZARD. LINCOLN RE SHEDULED FOR NEXT SATURDAY DONCASTER.. THE IRISH LINCOLN TODAY AT THE CURRAGH (4.30)

CH4 THE HOME OF HORSERACING

SUNDAY MARCH 24th REVIEW
7.55am to 8.55am

CH4 Bring us a window into the world of horseracing,
from the outside looking in.

BBC WEATHER WATCH - THIS WEEKEND
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2635167
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-11948479

REVIEW YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/results/home.sd?r_date=2013-03-23

PREVIEW TODAY'S CARDS

http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/cards/home.sd

http://www.racingpost.com/news/live.sd

WILLIE MULLINS in the post today "Dougal Philps should fly our Flag flag with honour on first day.

"THE Flat season kicks off at the Curragh today and we will have a runner in the big race, the BetVictor Lincolnshire (4.30), in DOUGAL PHILPS, who will be partnered by SAM JAMES.

"Hopefully, we can have a productive season. Typically, we have about a dozen Flat horses for the summer. We buy quite a few horses off the Flat to go hurdling with and we'll try do a 'SIMENON' with those, although that's asking quite a bit!

"DOUGAL PHILPS, is probably more of a Flat horse than a jump horse, although he does jump very well. That said, the action on the level this season will probably suit him better than what he has been doing over the past few months and he will certainly be fit from jumping, which could be a big asset. He is one of the bottom weights and handles the ground, and we're looking for a big run."

Take a look at the runners and riders for the Irish Lincoln. What do you think?

Join Up

http://www.racingpost.com/horses2/cards/card.sd?race_id=573229&r_date=2013-03-24#raceTabs=sc_

4:30» Curragh (IRE) SUNDAY, 24 MARCH 2013

BetVictor Irish Lincolnshire (Premier Handicap) (4yo+)

100000.00 For 4yo+ Weights highest weight not to be less than 9st 12lb Minimum weight 8-4 Penalties (after calculation of the handicap), each race won 5lb Custom Cut's Handicap Mark 104 Confirmed 30 Penalty value 1st €60,000.00 2nd €19,400.00 3rd €9,400.00 4th €3,400.00 5th €2,400.00 6th €1,400.00

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

DAVID ASHFORTH
Saturday's musings from a retired racing enthusiast.
David Ashforth at the Derby Awards 6.12.10

David Ashforth:
Twice voted journalist of the year

PICTURE: Dan Abraham

DAVID'S SATURDAY MUSINGS
23.03.2013

Pic: Of Lester Piggott

"Lester Piggott, for one,

will not be winning this years Lincoln."

"I'll pass over the Lincoln- there are too many rules.

"The beauty of the BHA 's flexibility is that, if Doncaster is abandoned the William Hill Lincoln will be run next Saturday instead. So you can just cut this out and read it then, although, if you wait, you may miss a winner at Wetherby on Wednesday (see below)

"One thing's for certain, whenever the Lincoln's run Lester Piggott is not going to win it. He never did. It was a rule of racing. Piggott didn't win the Lincoln, which must have cost his followers a fortune, and it's a bit late to put things right now.

Lester must have felt very lost when he retired from race riding, like his life suddenly came to an end, but he found he was still alive. Wondering if he still feels that loss, like as if he is a shadow of his real self drifting along as best he can in a sort of vacuum of lostness.

THE DRAW (considerations)

"There used to be another rule. Horses drawn high had an enormous advantage over horses drawn low, although occasionally horses drawn low, had an enormous advantage over those drawn high. There was a third rule, and a fourth one.

"If you backed a horse anti-post for the Lincoln and it was drawn high or low, it would finish clear of all the other horses drawn on the same side, and finish fifth. If it was drawn in the middle, it would be unplaced.

"How far your selection was beaten also depended on where the pace was and how Doncaster Rovers had played across the road at Belle View the previous evening but mainly it depended on the draw.

"Then, drains were invented, the Lincoln was moved to Redcar for a couple of years, and when it moved back, students of the draw opened new notebooks with fresh entries on winners and their draws.

"In 2008, Smokey Oakey was drawn in the middle and raced to victory on the stand's side. In 2009, Expresso Star was drawn in the middle and raced to victory on the far side. In 2010, Penitent was drawn one, the whole field edged across to the far side and Penitent won against the far rail. In 2011, Sweet Lightning was drawn high, the field split into two and Sweet Lightning won on the stands' side. Then last year, Brae Hill was drawn in the middle, the field raced up the middle and Brae Hill won in the middle. I hope that helps

"It's bound to be a strange race when it's called the Lincoln but isn't run in Lincolnshire, just as the Derby isn't run in Derbyshire, nor the Northumberland Plate in Northumberland. The Eider Chase is also run at Newcastle, despite the fact that the Eider is in Switzerland, where people climb up its north face. (not a spelling mistake, just a weak joke).

"And another strange thing - the Racing Post Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival is named in honour of a horse who won six times at Cheltenhambut never ran there over the Arkle Chase's two-mile trip. Arkle only once anywhere in a two-mile chase.

"The Gimcrack Stakes at York, for two year olds, is odder still, since Gimcrack never ran as a two-year-old and was beaten at both of his appearances at York. Go figure (an expression that seems to have run its course but which I rather like, , and may try to resurrect).

"As a betting medium I've long since abandoned the Lincoln on the grounds that it's a race to get the turf season off to a flying start, for William Hill.

"IN FACT I'm edging towards abandoning handicaps altogether and concentrating on certain kinds of maiden races, and novice hurdles. They're easier and quicker to analyse and, at my age, I can't be messing around poring over 22 seasoned handicapper, although there was a time when it seemed a wonderful way to spend a day.

"Nowadays, there are other things that I need to spend my time doing - trying to find my glasses, trying to remember the name of the person I am talking to, trying to remember the name of the person, trying to remember a website password, trying to remember ...

"So its out with the handicaps and in with the maiden races. It's like giving up on the Times' cryptic crossword, and doing the easy one, instead. Obviously , rules have to be broken sometimes, the watch Racing

on Channel 432 Handicap Hurdle at Wetherby on Wednesday being an example, if it's not abandoned.

"Those of you who followed my advice (Racing Post, February 23) and entered Upswing in your notebook will have reaped the rewards at Carlisle last Sunday, when he won cheekily off a debut debut handicap rating of 107.

"At Wetherby , over a helpfully longer trip, he can run under a 7lb penalty. A good looking horse, Upswing's better than that, and be probably be better still over fences. Anyway that is what I think.

"Today, Bispham Green's going to be a short price for the 32Red Casino Maiden Stakes at Southwell but it might be worth a look. It'll only take a minute. Then you can have another look for your glasses, and watch the Lincoln."