Linelee King

Linelee King was unlucky not to win the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap chase at Ayr on Tuesday. Olly Murphy’s horse travelled well through his race, second of the four runners, behind the pace that Heartbreak King set. He moved up on the outside of the leader as they raced to the end of the back straight, and it looked like he was travelling best of all by some way as they turned into the home straight. He just got in tight to the fourth last fence, the first in the home straight, and he stumbled badly on landing. It was a chance-ending mistake, he was passed by his other two rivals over the third last, and he was last of the four runners jumping the second last, chance gone. So he did remarkably well to rally from there, he got going again from the second last fence and, still fourth jumping the last, he stayed on strongly up the run-in to move into third place, closing on the winner Dubai Days all the way to the line, and going down by less than two lengths in the end.

The fences are there to be jumped, of course, but Linelee King’s jumping was good in the main and, if he hadn’t sprawled on landing over the fourth last fence, it is probable that he would have run out a good winner. Winner of his only point-to-point for Colin Bowe, after which he was sold for £160,000, he won his bumper and he won his maiden hurdle, but he shaped as if he would be at his best over fences when he won a novices’ handicap chase at Aintree in November on his chasing bow, staying on well to get up and beat Kiltealy Briggs by a half a length, with Beakstown five lengths back in third. That is good form, and it was over two and a half miles, a distance that is probably sharper than ideal. Tuesday’s race was over two and a half miles as well, but one of his best runs over hurdles was over three miles and, with plenty of stamina in his pedigree, it is probable that he will progress again for the step up to that trip over fences.
Ayr, 21^st December 2021