Malabar Channon’s best chance since Queen’s Logic to win a British Classic
Ahead of Saturday’s Betway Lincoln, we caught up with trainer Mick Channon to find out about the chances of his aptly-named contender Lincoln.
The West Ilsley-based trainer also updated us on the progress of his Qipco 1,000 Guineas hope Malabar.
Channon on Betway Lincoln hope Lincoln
We’re very pleased with Lincoln, he’s been working well. All his work’s been solid and it certainly won’t be fitness that beats him.
Obviously it’s his first time over a mile, on pedigree he should get it, but he does have a lot of speed. We could always go back to seven if the worst comes to the worst.
We feel that he’s settling better as he’s getting older, so there’s every reason he will stay. He won over seven as a two-year-old on soft ground so he should be okay.
The ground doesn’t really matter, we just wouldn’t want anything too firm for him. Good ground would be fine.
He can lead but over a mile I think we’ll take a lead. The great thing about him is that he can be handy and he settles well, it doesn’t really matter how the race falls. He’s got good tactical speed.
He’s a decent horse and he’s definitely an improver. We’re really just hoping we can turn up and be competitive. He’s a big price at 25/1.
I’ve been asked if he was named because of this race, but I’m afraid he wasn’t. His owner named him after the film a few years ago.
View the latest Betway Lincoln market odds here.
Channon on his 1000 Guineas contender Malabar
I think she’s my best chance since Queen’s Logic to win a British Classic. We’ve hit the post, we should have won with Nahoodh in 2008, but we’re delighted with her. She looks to have wintered very well.
She’s as forward in her coat as anything we have. We tend to be a little behind here in the spring because of the micro-climate we’re in and being on the Downs, but May should be fine.
She appears to be well forward enough to be competitive in the Guineas and we’ll head straight there. All options are then open and we’ll step her up in trip at some point.
View the latest 1000 Guineas odds here.
