Liberty Lane looks to land Lincoln gold
LIBERTY Lane can strike William Hill Lincoln gold as the Flat turf season rolls into town at Doncaster.
Following one of the wettest winters on record, many will be looking forward to the better weather the Flat campaign usually brings, although conditions will be testing for day one in South Yorkshire.
A typically competitive field has assembled for the traditional curtain-raiser and the vote goes to a horse from an in-form yard with plenty of scope for improvement.
Liberty Lane has run seven times for Karl Burke and won twice, most recently showing plenty of heart to score over this course and distance in soft ground in September.
The four-year-old subsequently failed to fire when well fancied for the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket, an effort which perhaps gave conclusive proof that he needs an ease underfoot to show his true colours.
The son of Teofilo is actually two from two on the soft, having also dominated his rivals on his racecourse debut at Nottingham, and with the Burke yard having been among the winners on the all-weather of late, expect Liberty Lane to be fully tuned for his seasonal bow.
It would be no surprise to see Astral Beau put up a staunch defence of her crown in the Doncaster Mile.
The well-related five-year-old ploughed through the Doncaster mud to claim this Listed prize 12 months ago and went on to perform well in defeat in Pattern company, most notably finishing fourth behind the top-class Nashwa in the Falmouth at Newmarket.
She is readily forgiven an underwhelming final run of 2023 on a fast surface and having proven she goes well fresh when landing this event last year, another bold bid should be anticipated.
Helter Skelter catches the eye in the William Hill Epic Boost Spring Mile.
Placed twice in maiden company in Ireland for John Joseph Murphy, the gelded son of Elzaam was subsequently snapped up for 38,000 guineas by The Horse Watchers and sent to Rebecca Menzies.
He only made his debut for his new connections last week, but there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from finishing fourth in a novice contest at Wolverhampton, with the run having blown away any cobwebs.
Making his handicap debut off a mark of 74, he could go well for his shrewd connections.