Equinties - Lawlor's Of Naas

Gm Equinauts

We’re all praying for some respite amidst the continued onslaught of wet weather but we imagine most of the groundsmen at British racecourses across the country are dreading the new forecast.

There’s been so much rain, nearly everywhere in the country is suffering from varying degrees of floods, the last thing this country needs now is a big freeze. The tracks will be rock hard.

We can’t deal with any more abandonments, how are we supposed to get through the day without the jumps. Fingers crossed the ‘colder conditions to come’ aren’t too cold.

NOTE: Today’s wet conditions mean there isn’t too much to get excited on this sorry Saturday, so to add a bit of value to this edition, we have included tomorrows feature races the Lawlor’s Of Naas Hurdle and the Sussex National. Enjoy.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

OUR LUCKY LUCCIA

If Nicky Henderson read this newsletter (or indeed, saw our winning bet slips), he’d ask us what problem we had against his brilliant mare LUCCIA.

We don’t have a problem with her, Nicky. We love her! In fact, she was probably our most profitable horse last season.

Some of the biggest lays of our betting lives have been placed on his girl and come in without danger. Confident, easy wins against the market consensus and at great prices too.

She was the lay of the Festival when sent off the 6/4 favourite for the Grade 2 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival following her impressive Exeter success.

She showed her ability when third in the Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree but then was a big fat lay again when going off 5/4 for the lesser Mares’ Hurdle Listed race at Wetherby.

Just to prove to Nicky we have nothing against his wonder mare, look we have backed (and won on) her too:

So why do we keep laying her?

Easy, she doesn’t stay on bad ground.

It was no surprise to watch her get herself back into the winners’ enclosure in the valuable Betfair Exchange Trophy Handicap Hurdle just before Christmas at Ascot. We actually eyed her up that morning but thought the going wasn’t quite ‘good’ enough, that’s how ground dependant she is!

Her next target is set to be another Betfair-sponsored race, this time the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury before a potential Cheltenham Festival tilt. 

Owner, Paul Sandy, said: "Newbury's on the cards and then it looks like Cheltenham and possibly the Mares' Hurdle, but we'll see. "I was beside myself at Ascot because Nicky was keen to try her over two and a half miles, but I was really looking forward to going to Ascot [over two miles]. "She's gone up 4lb for winning at Ascot, which is more than fair, so it's fingers crossed for Newbury." 

Nicky, if you’re reading this - she doesn’t stay! Rather than mess around with the trip, just don’t run her on bad ground. Keep her at 2 on good ground and she can go up against anything. Soft? Put her back in her stable and give her an extra feed.

It’s not just jumps plans they have for LUCCIA. Her owner continued: "This is just a thought at this stage, but she came into training a little later and the reason was to try her on the flat, possibly in the Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham.

“We'll see how she goes, but we might go for the Sagaro Stakes after that if she did well, and then there's the Ascot Stakes and Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot. "We could also think about the Cesarewitch and then it might be off to stud, but a lot will depend on how she comes out of her races over hurdles first."

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