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Full range in Lincoln

Mr. P. BULL'S five-year-old. Orgoglio, has been allotted top-weight of 9st. 7lb. in the Lin-colnshire Handicap, which will be run on Wednesday, March 24th. The handicapper has used the full range here, and Orgoglio is set to concede as much as 3st. to some of the entries.

Orgoglio is weighted 2lb. in front of Lord Rosebery's Fastnet Rock, who, with 9st. 5lb., has 5lb. more than he carried into second place in last year's race.

Sailing Light, who was success-ful last year with 7st. 11lb., now has 9st. 3lb. The highest weighted of Major L. B. Holliday's three entrants is the five-year-old, Dum-barnie, winner of the Midland Cam-bridgeshire at Birmingham last November. Dumbarnie has been allotted 8st. 12lb., 4lb. more than his stable-companion, Netherwood. Neath, Major Holliday's other horse, has 8st. 1lb.

Chivalry, fifth in last year's "Lin-coln," under 8st. 1lb., has gone up 5lb., but Nahar, the only French trained entry, who started joint-favourite for last season's race, has gone down 2lb to 8st.

CLOSELY HANDICAPPED

Caerlaverock, allotted 8st. 6lb. last year, when he did not run, now has 8st. 13lb. Caerlaverock finished third to Fastnet Rock in last season's Rosebery Stakes, and is closely handicapped with Lord Rosebery's horse on that running.

Lord Rosebery's other entrant, Swashbuckler, is favourably weighted with 8st. 8lb Stormy Hour, also trained by Jack Jarvis, but owned by Lord Milford, has been given 8st. 11lb.

Irish horse heads Grand National 

THE National Hunt handicapper, Mr. D. G. Sheppard, has made known the weights for the Grand National, to be run at Aintree on Saturday, March 27th, and there are really no out-standing surprises. Knock Hard, as was generally expected, is set to give weight away all round, but Mr. Sheppard has given Mrs. M. H. Keogh's 10-year-old 2lb. less than the maximum impost -12st. 5lb.

Knock Hard, the winner of last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup, has never run over the Aintree obstacles and is unlikely to do so this year, as I gather his main objective will once again be the big Cheltenham prize. Actually Knock Hard has not run over fences since his Gold Cup triumph, but has had three races over hurdles and, as I have already stated, will next be seen in action in the Great Yorkshire Steeplechase at Doncaster next month, a race, incidentally, which he won last year.

M. V. O'Brien, Knock Hard's trainer, has other strings to his bow in the Grand National, among them being last year's victor, Early Mist, who has been allotted 12st., which is 12lb. more than he carried 12 months ago. Even with this heavy burden, however, he is by no means out of it, though Mont Tremblant, second to him in 1953, has now a nice pull in the weights.

MEET AT LEOPARDSTOWN.
Early Mist displayed his well-being at the Christmas fixture in Leopardstown, where he won in good style, although he probably had not a lot to do. Early Mist will next run in the Leopardstown Handicap Steeplechase to-morrow Grand Sefton at Liverpool, and in good style, too, so it is only natural that he should be regarded as a very "live" National candidate. 

With 10st. 11lb., Coneyburrow will, no doubt, develop into much fancied Grand National candidate.

FAIRLY TREATED.
Royal Tan, in the same owner-ship as Early Mist, and also trained by O'Brien, can renew acquaint-ance with Aintree. I thought he would have beaten Nickle Coin in 1951, but for a disastrous last few mistake; and, he certainly would have been placed the following [[?]] had he not fallen at the [[?]] obstacle. Royal Tan is fairly [[?]] with 11st. 7lb.

[[?]]

Transcription Notes:
No point in transcribing balance of text from newspaper clipping as it will not make any sense @kd