The Unibet Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster signals the start of the new Flat season on Turf in the UK, six days after the season got underway in Ireland. It’s the first leg of the traditional Spring Double, completed by next week’s Randox Health Grand National at Aintree – you will certainly deserve a feather in your punting cap if finding the winner of both races as Addeybb was the first single-figure winner of the Lincoln last year in nine years.
Lincoln Handicap History and Trends
First staged in the 1850s, the Lincoln was originally run at the now-defunct Lincoln racecourse as the Lincolnshire Handicap. It has been held in March each year ever since. When the Carholme racecourse at Lincoln closed in 1965, the event shortened its name to the Lincoln Handicap and moved to Doncaster in South Yorkshire, one of the few tracks able to stage a race run over a straight mile.
- Over the last 19 years, all winners have been aged four, five or six.
- The winning horse has been rated between 90 and 104 in the last 12 years, which looks a small sample until you realise all except the top four in the handicap at the four-day stage in this year’s race fall outside that band.
- Only one horse in 18 years has carried more than 9st 4lb to victory and that brings in another four.
- Drainage work down the years on Town Moor has largely destroyed any bias in the draw.
- Seven of the last 11 winners were making their seasonal reappearance and three of the exceptions had run on Turf at Meydan.
Lincoln Winners Since 2001
| Year | Draw | Horse | Age | Weight | Trainer | Jockey | SP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 10 | Addeybb (IRE) | 4 | 9-2 | W Haggas | D Tudhope | 20/1 | ||
| 2017 | 20 | Bravery (IRE) | 4 | 9-1 | D O’Meara | D Tudhope | 20/1 | ||
| 2016 | 22 | Secret Brief (IRE) | 4 | 9-4 | C Appleby | W Buick | 12/1 | ||
| 2015 | 15 | Gabrial (IRE) | 6 | 9-0 | R A Fahey | T Hamilton | 12/1 | ||
| 2014 | 3 | Ocean Tempest | 5 | 9-3 | J Ryan | A Kirby | 20/1 | ||
| 2013 | 3 | Levitate | 5 | 8-7 | J J Quinn | D E Egan | 20/1 | ||
| 2012 | 12 | Brae Hill (IRE) | 6 | 9-1 | R A Fahey | T Hamilton | 25/1 | ||
| 2011 | 16 | Sweet Lightning | 6 | 9-4 | M Dods | Johnny Murtagh | 16/1 | ||
| 2010 | 1 | Penitent | 4 | 9-2 | W J Haggas | Johnny Murtagh | 3/1 | ||
| 2009 | 9 | Expresso Star (USA) | 4 | 8-12 | J H M Gosden | J Fortune | 7/2 | ||
| 2008 | 12 | Smokey Oakey (IRE) | 4 | 8-9 | M H Tompkins | J Quinn | 10/1 | ||
| 2007 | 16 | Very Wise | 5 | 8-11 | W J Haggas | J Fanning | 9/1 | ||
| 2006 | 9 | Blythe Knight (IRE) | 6 | 8-10 | J J Quinn | Graham Gibbons | 22/1 | ||
| 2005 | 13 | Stream of Gold (IRE) | 4 | 9-0 | Sir Michael Stoute | R Winston | 5/1 | ||
| 2004 | 23 | Babodana | 4 | 9-10 | M Tompkins | P Robinson | 20/1 | ||
| 2003 | 6 | Pablo | 4 | 8-11 | B W Hills | Michael Hills | 5/1 | ||
| 2002 | 7 | Zucchero | 6 | 8-13 | D W P Arbuthnot | S Whitworth | 33/1 | ||
| 2001 | 1 | Nimello (USA) | 5 | 8-9 | P F I Cole | J Fortune | 9/2 |
Nowadays, those who are balloted out of the Lincoln have the option of declaring for the Spring Mile earlier on the racecard. Only 22 runners are allowed in the big race with more than £62,000 going to the winner.
A number of powerful northern stables – including Mark Johnston, Richard Fahey and David O’Meara – have multiple entries but Newmarket is also well represented and last year’s winner came from HQ. Sir Michael Stoute’s Ledham would have been an interesting contender but would need 17 to drop out to get a run and that looks most unlikely. Instead, we’ll concentrate on the top 30 in the weights.
James Doyle could have been sunning himself in Dubai this weekend but instead is likely to be sat aboard Auxerre for paymasters Godolphin. This prize is peanuts compared to the aims of the UAE-based operation at Meydan but all victories are sweet and Charlie Appleby’s four-year-old has won three of his four career starts. He may well hold his own in pattern race company this season but this will be his first run on ground this soft. There is no value whatsoever in general odds of 7/2.
Zwayyan (16/1 with William Hill) beat Breden and Third Time Lucky in the Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton but has been raised to a mark of 102 and that looks too high. Ado McGuiness sends Saltonstall (12/1 with William Hill) over from Ireland and he won a Premier Handicap at the Curragh last spring, though didn’t show much after that.
The ante-post market points to Humbert being the pick of the O’Meara entries at 12/1 with Betfred but he was well behind the likes of Another Batt and Kynren in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot in October, though finished ahead of the latter when second in last year’s Spring Mile at Doncaster and goes well fresh.
Hayley Turner’s intended mount Ripp Orf always seems to run well in these big-field handicaps but odds of 12/1 reflect that. WAHASH was behind a number of these in the Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton but looked in need of the run and wasn’t given a hard time. He still wasn’t beaten far and that’s usually the case. It is a worry that he is 0-16 on Turf but he has gone close on several occasions, including once at Doncaster, and he’ll handle any give in the ground. At a general 33/1, there will be worse each-way bets on the day.
