Irish runners in Britain this weekend It's the first weekend of the Flat season on turf in Britain this weekend and that of course means the Lincoln at Doncaster takes centre stage. There's just one Irish runner in the Town Moor feature event as trainer Tony Martin looks for an historic double. We're taking a look at some of the Irish horses looking to achieve success in Britain this weekend. Orandi — Doncaster, 3.35 Saturday Jabbar — Kempton, 2.05 Saturday Rubies From Burma — 3.15 Kempton, Saturday Local Lad — 4.25 Kempton, Saturday Sign up to Midnite for free bets this weekend If you already have a Midnite account, check out more of the best betting sites. Martin's Orandi heads for the Lincoln There will be one Irish-trained representative in the field for the Lincoln at Doncaster with the Tony Martin-trained Orandi set to attempt the Irish Lincolnshire-Lincoln double. No horse has ever won the Irish and English Lincolns in the same season, while Irish raiders have a poor record in general in the Doncaster race as it is 41 years since the Dermot Weld-trained Saving Mercy, ridden by the late Walter Swinburn, won the Lincoln. Shane Foley partnered Orandi at the Curragh when the 10/1 shot overcame some interference to beat Kortez Bay by three-parts-of-a-length in mid-March. The pair were a long way clear of everything else and while Orandi carries a 5lb penalty now, he does have 4lb in hand on official assessments and the booking of Rossa Ryan is a positive for his Doncaster mission with the rider boasting a near 21 per-cent strike-rate in recent weeks. O'Leary makes Kempton raid Ger O'Leary has made a decent start to his career as a trainer, the Co Cork-based handler securing 23 winners from 170 runners so far. He was on the scoresheet last weekend at Naas with Noble Nation and Jabbar will be just his sixth UK runner when he lines up in the Virgin Bet Queen's Prize Handicap on the Polytrack at Kempton on Saturday afternoon. He has saddled winners at Sedgefield and Cartmel already over jumps and this will be his first crack at an all-weather target in the UK. Jabbar, a gelded son of Galileo Gold, ran out an easy winner over 2m at Dundalk in January but couldn't back that up at the Co Louth venue next time. He faces some useful opponents in this Class 2 Kempton contest and Jamie Spencer is booked to ride. De Bromhead hoping Rubies can shine O'Leary won't be alone in representing the Irish ranks at Kempton as Henry de Bromhead has entered Rubies From Burma in the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes over a mile at the Sunbury-on-Thames venue. The American Pharoah filly improved with each of her three starts in 2024 as a three-year-old and capped it off by easily winning a mile maiden at Cork in September in the hands of Billy Lee. She returns from her absence and takes a sharp rise in grade for this trip to Kempton, and the booking of Oisin Murphy will be eye-catching for many. Local Lad also Kempton-bound Jabbar runs in the colours of Lance Bloodstock Limited and they've decided to make the most of the ferry trip to Britain by also sending Local Lad over. O'Leary's son of Sea The Moon started his career with a promising run in the Group 3 Marble Hill Stakes at the Curragh (6f, good) last season and went on to be placed in novice/maiden company at Thirsk and Naas in the autumn on his only other starts as a juvenile. He will also have Spencer on his back as they tackle four rivals in the British EBF Conditions Stakes over a mile at Kempton later on Saturday afternoon.
