The flat season quickens into gear on Saturday. Doncaster hosts a card highlighted by the Lincoln, the traditional curtain-raising handicap prize. All 22 runners are previewed below, along with Bet365‘s new customer offer of Bet £10 Get £50 In Free Bets.
Safe Voyage 40/1
Historically, Safe Voyage is comfortably the class act in the field and has not raced in handicap company for nearly three years. That is because Pattern events have been his playground, but after four unplaced efforts in Group 2 and Listed company to end last season, he looks very vulnerable conceding weight all round. There are simply too many unexposed types lurking.
Modern News 7/2
Charlie Appleby and Godolphin are the world’s top dogs on the flat right now and the slow-burning career of Modern News may just be about to take off. He has won on all three of his handicap starts, all of those coming as a three-year-old last season. Thats aw him take his chance in Dubai last month in Listed company and while he was only third, he did well to finish that close. The step up to a mile should suit and there is progress to come.
Brunch 16/1
Admirably consistent, Brunch has won five of his 15 career starts, despite being tricky as a two-year-old. He progressed to win in Listed company at Pontefract last term, that coming after finishing second in this race 12 months ago. He is 4lb higher than that day and was below par on his last two starts last term, but does go well fresh and could sneak into the places.
Marie’s Diamond 33/1
A Listed winner in lockdown for Mark Johnston, Marie’s Diamond joined Roger Fell at the start of this year, embarking upon a brief adventure in Dubai. He came very close to a second Listed victory at the end of January, but otherwise fell short in Group and handicap company. He did win off this mark at Ayr last year, but that was a six-runner race and this is far more difficult.
Johan 33/1
Initially with William Haggas, Johan is a horse who either wins or falls comfortably short. 16 starts have yielded an impressive six successes, but he has otherwise never finished in the top three and that looks likely to be the case here too. He will be having his first start for Mick Channon, remains 2lb above his last winning mark in a competitive contest, though does go well enough after a break and was fourth in a decent handicap at Goodwood off 2lb higher three starts ago.
What’s The Story 33/1
Though many are making their seasonal reappearances, What’s The Story will have to overcome one of the longer layoffs having not been seen since July. He has won after such an absence in the past and has slipped to an extremely tempting mark on his best efforts. However, he is an eight-year-old now and without a win since August 2019, so is tricky to recommend.
Mujtaba 7/2
The Lincoln is a higher quality race than ever before and Mujtaba could well go onto better things like a number of recent winners. He has won all three of his career starts comfortably, including on handicap debut at Redcar in October. This represents a step up in class, but he has an alluring profile that fits with all of the last three winners of the race. He could be very exciting and his prospects are to be taken very seriously.
Irish Admiral 25/1
Irish Admiral looked like a horse on the rise at the start of last term, but ultimately failed to deliver on that early promise. Did win well at Redcar over this trip on his penultimate start, but that was a distinctly winnable opportunity and he was down the field in the Cambridgeshire. Has seen his mark go unchanged and a first-time tongue tie would have to work wonders.
Saleymm 9/2
In hindsight, Saleymm’s debut was a bit of a baptism of fire, coming up against Group 1 winner Snow Lantern. However, he improved significantly as the season went on, winning at Chelmsford, before routing decent company on his handicap debut at Wolverhampton. He is up 10lb for that victory and is yet to win on turf though, while it is a slight mystery as to why wind surgery was necessary after his two strongest performers. May well be up-and-coming, but appeals the least of those with similar profiles.
Revich 33/1
Richard Spencer’s six-year-old ran an enormous race at 100/1 in this last year. Revich not only missed the star, but also encountered some trouble in running before his efforts petered out to leave him sixth. Had he behaved better and got a decent run, he could have been significantly closer. That was easily his best run after a break, though, so there remain some doubts about his proficiency at the start of a season. Furthermore, victory at Ayr on his last start leave him up 3lb, though still 1lb below last year’s mark. He is not discounted each-way.
Darkness 11/1
Appropriately, Darkness is very much a dark horse in this contest. He performed to a very decent level for Jean-Claude Rouget in France and an opening mark of 95 in Britain is generous considering five of his last six RPRs were between 99 and 102. David O’Meara has traditional done very well with new recruits, winning this with such a horse in Bravery in 2017. Nevertheless, he was comfortably enough beaten in all of his three starts last season and is more worth watching for the rest of the campaign.
Fame And Acclaim 22/1
Fame And Acclaim came close to a couple of big handicap successes when with Joseph O’Brien at the start of last season. However, having not won it has now been over 18 months since he tasted success, while a placed effort at York last July is his best effort for Les Eyre so far. He has been running in very competitive, big fields in that time, but it would have offered more comfort had he come a little closer, in spite of his now falling mark.
Ametist 16/1
Due to having only had two runs as a juvenile by the end of his three-year-old season, Ametist had not qualified for the Lincoln last term. However, he racked up a hat-trick at Wetherby and Newmarket before July last season and quickly established himself as a horse on the up. Two hefty defeats soon followed, but a much more encouraging third in the Cambridgeshire ended his season. He is still relatively inexperienced, so there could more to come, albeit this mark will be challenging enough to defy.
Another Batt 33/1
Any more rain in the north east would pose a question for a number of runners, but would be a blessing for Another Batt who has won his last two races on soft ground. The most recent came on his last start at this track, with him staying the seven furlongs stoutly. A mile has usually asked too much of a question of him, so while the heavens opening would deliver a blessing, he remains a risky proposition. He was sixth in this three years ago off 13lb higher, but does not retain the same ability.
Scottish Summit 50/1
The nine-year-old Scottish Summit should be vulnerable to younger legs here, but while victory cruelly eluded him last term, he was arguably better than ever. He reached a career peak of 96 and was second over course and distance off 94 back in September. Indeed, in three runs over this trip at Doncaster last season, only once did he disappoint: in this race. However, he is 6lb lower now, and 4lb lower than that encouraging second, so could run a big race after blowing away the cobwebs earlier this month.
United Front 40/1
United Front scored twice in stylish fashion over the winter, as Mick Appleby kept him busy on the all-weather. However, his last turf run was over 1m4f off a mark of 90 and he returns off 2lb higher despite finishing down the field that day. It seems unlikely that he will transfer his form back to grass.
Notre Belle Bete 9/1
Back-to-back wins on the all-weather in 2022 suggest Notre Belle Bete could indeed be a beautiful beast for Andrew Balding. He failed to win any of his first seven starts in Ireland for Darren Bunyan, but the King Power owned four-year-old was highly tried from the start for that yard. His first two starts came in Listed company, but his wins for Balding have come in less exalted company. He is still winless on turf, but could well be ready to show his best.
Eagleway 50/1
Ivan Furtado’s Eagleway secured his first win in the UK in January, when victorious at Southwell. However, his turf debut in the country almost saw him pull off a massive 80/1 shock in the Victoria Cup when only going down by half-a-length. Most of his form does not stack up to that level though and he is 3lb higher than that day here.
Hortzadar 40/1
Hortzadar is a horse who has his moments, but whether he can ever be trusted as a betting proposition is debatable. The positives: he is 7lb lower than when third in the Lincoln last year and he has had two good runner-up finishes elsewhere since then. The negatives: he had just as many 0s as other numbers on his formbook last season and this would still require an unlikely career best.
Teodolina 33/1
Only Darkness will be returning from a longer break than Teodolina who, after nine starts, remains open to progress. However, though she won on her reappearance last season at Ascot, she was unable to challenge off a mark of 90 the next twice. She is another who may benefit from rain, but she looks high enough in the handicap here anyway.
Rogue Bear 14/1
A winner of three of his five starts, Rogue Bear still had some learning to do during his last two victories at Nottingham. Despite being by Kodiac, he has benefitted from being stepped up to a mile. His first win from a mark of 79 was emphatic enough, but he only managed to dead-heat in the final strides last time. A 2lb rise may not be too harsh and he is open to significant progress. Within this field, he is the least easy to predict.
Broken Spear 66/1
Broken Spear was kept very busy last season, running no fewer than 12 times. Two of those races resulted in victory, both coming over seven furlongs. The latest of those was at Doncaster and off only 3lb lower, though he had been tried regularly without success beforehand off around this mark. It seems unlikely that he will challenge with this representing a significant step up in class.
Big Race Verdict
The unbeaten MUJTABA is too alluring to oppose, with plenty more expected to come from him. If there is to be a multiple Group winner in waiting within this lineup, it looks likely to be him. Godolphin’s Modern News and King Power’s Notre Belle Bete are feared with Revich, Scottish Summit and Rogue Bear all tempting each-way plays.
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