racing news/

Follow Extraterrestrial for a Happy Landing
16/03/10

Is it that time of the year again? It seems like only yesterday that we said goodbye to the 2009 flat season and now we're closing in on the opening fixture of 2010 with the Lincoln Handicap proving a tough nut to crack, writes Elliot Slater.

All-weather racing has proved a definite boon for getting horses looking to get really fit for the start of the flat season and Wolverhampton's Lincoln trial races have traditionally produced a fair number of horses who go on to do well at Doncaster. Watching the action at 'Downtown Dunstall' on Saturday there is no doubt that both Vitznau, who won with a bit in hand, and Mia's Boy, who looks a typical Lincoln sort, can be expected to do themselves justice, but it was the run of the fourth home, Extraterrestrial, that really caught my eye.

Richard Fahey's smart handicapper was held up towards the rear of the field before making good headway approaching the distance and ran on well to be closing in fast on the front three. Already proven in big field handicaps in the spring having won the Thirsk Hunt Cup in 2008 and then failed by only half-a-length to land the Spring Mile at last year's Lincoln fixture, Fahey's six-year-old son of Mind Games, must be close to spot on now ahead of a bid for the big mile handicap in which this year he is guaranteed to get a run.

Ideally suited by some give in the ground and a strong pace, the Lincoln Handicap looks the perfect race if there is decent ground, and of course, assuming that the draw doesn't stymie any possibility of getting involved at the finish.

Fahey, one of the shrewdest operators in the business looks to me to have set his stall out with 'ET' this year, and the 25/1 still on offer with Corals looks excellent each-way value.

However, before the return of flat racing there is still plenty of National Hunt action to look forward to.