Nap of the Day: Redemption for Raadobarg incoming in Irish Lincolnshire

There are three cards in Britain and Ireland down for decision on Sunday and significantly we have the first meeting of the Irish turf season at the Curragh.

Today's Horse Races

The first two-year-old contest of the campaign kicks off the Curragh’s eight-race card at 13.40 and hopes are high we may see another star sprinter over the flying five furlongs.

Bucanero Fuerte landed this in 2023 for Adrian Murray and pummelled Porta Fortuna in the Phoenix Stakes at the same track five months later, while the trainer also took the 2024 running with subsequent Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Arizona Blaze.

He saddles another fascinating newcomer in Power Blue with David Egan booked for the ride, but that’s a watching brief with no form to go off, and the better betting race is the feature Irish Lincolnshire (15.45).

Enhanced place terms are up for grabs with Betfred.

15:45 Curragh - Raadobarg @ 9/1

Trainer Raphael E Freire has made a bright start to his training career in Britain and could be set to collect his first major prize with Raadobarg in the Irish Lincolnshire. This horse merits strong each-way consideration.

David Egan has selected Raadobarg over Amo Racing’s other runner, Beresford Stakes winner Crypto Force, and that looks significant.

Freire has already picked up two Listed races in Britain and Raadobarg is debuting for the yard after leaving George Boughey. I wonder if a long-term plan may be coming together.

Raadobarg was a cracking third in the 2024 running on heavy ground and gets to race off a 10lb lower mark. He also won this in 2022 off 3lb higher on his debut for Johnny Murtagh.

Last season’s performance added to Raadobarg’s excellent record when fresh and first time out is usually the time to catch him.

He was defying a 178-day absence in the 2022 running, while he was third in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes on his comeback in 2023 when starting out for Boughey.

It seems a certainty that Freire is going to have him ready to run for his life and this talented seven-year-old won’t mind what the weather does at the Curragh.

He has put in top performances on surfaces ranging from good to heavy and the ground should be somewhere in between that on Sunday. Granted normal luck in running, he won’t be far away and stall 14 in the middle of the pack looks an okay draw. He won this from box 12 and was berthed in stall 15 last year.

Feared most is Monasterboice for the same connections as 2021 winner Layfayette. Noel Meade often has his horses revved up at this time of year and Monasterboice, a progressive three-year-old last autumn, has a similar profile to Layfayette and should have plenty more to offer as a four-year-old.

 Nap Of The Day from Betfred Insights.