Desert Opal catches the eye

RACING: John Gosden may not have had many runners in the the Lincoln over the years, but his Desert Opal has caught the eye of punters ahead of the weekend.

The Khalid Abdullah-owned four-year-old, who will be only the second Gosden-trained runner in this race, has been cut to 10 to 1 third favourite (from 14s) for Saturday's race at Doncaster.

The Mark Tompkins-trained Babodana has also come in for plenty of support and is down to 14 to 1 from 20 to 1.

Darryll Holland was upbeat yesterday about the prospects for Fremen in the big race, but admits the draw will be crucial.

The ceremony for stalls positions will take place at Doncaster tomorrow, and the jockey is keeping his fingers crossed that the Michael Stoute-trained four-year-old receives a favourable outcome.

"We did a nice bit of work the other day with Sublimity and he seems fine," Holland told attheraces. "Everything depends on the draw there and the ground. I think he'll like nice ground and he's certainly very much an unexposed horse with some very good form to go with it.

"The draw is very important so we'll have to see what we get."

Unraced as a juvenile, the Rahy colt won two of his five starts last year and was not beaten far when 10th in the valuable Tote Trifecta Handicap at Ascot on his final start.

Nerys Dutfield confirmed that Convent Girl will take her chance at the weekend. The four-year-old filly is a general 25 to 1 chance for the first big race of the turf Flat season.

The daughter of Bishop Of Cashel was last seen when sixth, beaten just four lengths, in the Tote Cambridgeshire over nine furlongs at Newmarket in October, finishing first home of those drawn low.

"She's been very well and I don't think she'll be disgraced," Dutfield said. "The ground should be fine, although she seems to go on anything. She ran a blinder in the Cambridgeshire and from a wrong draw as well. She's fairly versatile, but I think a mile is probably her trip. Robert Havlin will ride her again."

Kevin Ryan, though, is praying that his recent Wolverhampton runner-up Cardinal Venture makes it into the race.

"He worked this morning and he's very, very well. He needs nine to come out to make the cut," he said. "I ran him at Wolverhampton hoping to get a penalty and it didn't come off, he just got caught on the line. It's one of those things now - we'll just have to hope and pray he gets in. If not, I'll run him in the Spring Mile the day before (Lincoln consolation race). "The horse is well, he needs cut in the ground and we may as well run him while he is in form."

Aidan O'Brien's St Leger winner Brian Boru is one of 19 entries for what promises to be an informative renewal of the Alleged Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday.

The Ballydoyle trainer has also entered Irish St Leger third Powerscourt, Irish 1000 Guineas winner Yesterday, Juddmonte International Stakes fourth Mingun and Handel in the Listed 10-furlong event.

Akshar, last seen in the Tote Cambridgeshire when a well-beaten joint favourite, could have his first run for Dermot Weld having left the Newmarket yard of Sir Michael Stoute.

O'Brien's unraced All Too Beautiful, a full-sister to 2001 Vodafone Derby hero Galileo, is one of 25 possibles for the Ashmount Maiden, also over 10 furlongs. The daughter of Sadler's Wells is 20 to 1 third favourite for the Oaks.