The Lincoln Handicap,
run over a mile at Doncaster, is traditionally the highlight of the
opening Saturday of the British Flat season. This year’s renewal,
due off at 3.50 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, has attracted a maximum
field of 22 runners and, as usual, presents a thorny problem for
punters to solve. Indeed, the Lincoln Handicap has proved a positive
race for outsiders in recent years, with winners at 16/1, 20/1
(twice), 22/1 and 25/1 since 2004, so we’ve short-listed two or
three that could belie generous odds by running well.
The first one that
takes the eye is David Barron’s 7-year-old Tres Corona (20/1), who
made a promising return to action when ninth of thirteen, beaten 4¼
lengths, behind Whispering Warrior in the Lincoln Trial Handicap at
Wolverhampton three weeks ago. He’s entitled to improve for that
run, his first since September, and is 5lb better off with the winner
this time around. Admittedly, he’s 13lb higher in the weights than
when winning at Chester last May, but he was only beaten 2 lengths in
the Cambridgeshire off a 3lb lower mark on his final start last
season, so he could still be feasibly weighted. Any rain on Town Moor
would be in his favour and, interestingly, he’s reunited with
Philip Makin, who was the last jockey to win on him.
At even longer odds,
Sweet Lightning (33/1), joined North Yorkshire trainer David O’Meara
from Johnny Murtagh in December and has been campaigned, without
distinction, at Meydan over the winter. However, the Fantastic Light
gelding should be fit as a flea and returns to turf off a 2lb lower
mark than when winning the Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh at this
time last year. Of course, the 9-year-old also won the Lincoln
Handicap, off a 6lb higher mark, back in 2011 so, if he’s been
rejuvenated by his astute trainer, he could be far from a forlorn
hope in his attempt to win the race for a second time.
The one really ‘dark’
horse in the field is Jonjo O’Neill’s 4-year-old Unsinkable
(33/1), who’s on a retrieval mission after finishing last of
eleven, beaten 16½ lengths, on his reappearance at Lingfield four
weeks ago. The Verglas gelding has clearly had his problems, but his
form in Listed races at Lingfield and Newmarket last season suggests
that his current handicap mark of 95 is fair enough, especially with
leading apprentice Jason Hart taking off a further 3lb, and he’s
another who could surprise some better fancied rivals. In fact , a
return to the form that saw him beaten 4½ lengths by subsequent
Winter Derby runner-up Windhoek in the Newmarket Stakes last May
could make his current odds look very generous indeed by teatime on
Saturday.
In summary, the Lincoln
Handicap is, as ever, fiercely competitive, but our three against the
field are Tres Coronas (20/1 generally), Sweet Lightning (33/1 with
Totesport and William Hill) and Unsinkable (33/1 with Bet365 and Bet
Victor). Good luck!
