Lincoln Handicap Betting Tips, Odds and Offers

The traditional first day of racing of the flat season is headlined by the Class 2, Lincoln Handicap. Run over a mile, this is always a tactical battle. Punters must assess the draw bias and whether the field of 22 will split in running or remain in one big pack. It’s a tough race to decipher but that provides the chance for a nice return from the bookies.

Lincoln Handicap Tips and Race Preview 2019

Doncaster Racecourse is the traditional host of the start of the flat racing season. Nothing has changed in that regard in 2019 and Saturday’s action will welcome the return of flat racing on the turf with a strong looking card.

Racegoers and punters are looking forward to the Cammidge Trophy and the Doncaster Mile but it’s the Lincoln Handicap that gets top billing. A maximum field of 22 is set to go to post in this unpredictable 1 mile contest so where does the value lie with the bookmakers?

Auxerre Unlikely to Improve Favourites’ Poor Record

The unpredictability of the Lincoln Handicap is one of the main reasons why it is such a popular contest. Only three of the last 16 renewals were won by the favourite but that has not stopped the money coming in for Auxerre who is as short as 3/1 in places.

Charlie Appleby’s four-year-old has a huge amount of buzz about him following a hat-trick of wins to end last season. He was the firm favourite for each of those three wins and definitely represents the class option in the field. However, he is unproven on the sort of good to soft ground expected at Doncaster and against this size of competition. Connections believe he has a great chance to land the £62,250 winner’s prize but his price just looks too short to get excited about.

Kynren’s Experience to Prove Vital

Whereas Auxerre will be in unfamiliar territory, Kynren is very much at home against such a high number of opponents. David Barron’s five-year-old was entered exclusively in big field handicaps during his four-year-old season and although results were mixed, that experience should stand him in very good stead.

Connections believe that slightly softer ground could be right up Kynren’s alley. He certainly enjoyed the cut under foot during the two wins that ended his 2017. Progressive performances last season did not go unnoticed by the handicapper who looked to have Kynren’s number late on. However, the 9st 1lb that he’ll carry on Saturday looks fair and could allow Kyrnren to show his best and land the biggest win of his career at nice odds of 9/1 with Coral.

Rip Orf Can Return With a Bang

After such a successful season for their horse, connections of Ripp Orf were a little disappointed with the way he tailed off towards the end of the campaign. To Ripp Orf’s defence he had put in a lot of work throughout the season so can be forgiven for tiring.

The decision not to race Ripp Orf on the all-weather over the winter months looks a sensible one. The five-year-old will be fresh, fit and ready to give his best when he turns up to Doncaster which should worry connections of the other leading contenders. He is ground-versatile, capable of winning competitive races over 7 furlongs or 1 mile and will carry just 9st 1lb so Ripp Orf looks a very good each way bet at 12/1 with BetVictor.

Previous Winners

2018 – Addeybb – jockey James Doyle, trainer William Haggas
2017 – Bravery – jockey Daniel Tudhop, trainer David O’Meara
2016 – Secret Brief – jockey William Buick, trainer Charlie Appleby
2015 – Gabrial – jockey Tony Hamilton, trainer Richard Fahey
2014 – Ocean Tempest – jockey Adam Kirby, trainer John Ryan
2013 – Levitate – jockey Darren Egan, trainer John Quinn
2012 – Brae Hill – jockey Tony Hamilton, trainer Richard Fahey
2011 – Sweet Lightning – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Michael Dods
2010 – Penitent – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer William Haggas
2009 – Expresso Star – jockey Jimmy Fortune, trainer John Gosden
2008 – Smokey Oakey – jockey Jimmy Quinn, trainer Mark Tompkins
2007 – Very Wise – jockey Joe Fanning, trainer William Haggas

Lincoln Handicap History

This contest may have only existed in its current guise since 1965, but it has been a part of the fabric of the racing calendar for far longer. The first ever Lincolnshire Handicap was in fact run over 100 years prior to that, in 1849. It bore little resemblance to the modern race though, being run at Lincoln over a trip of two miles. The distance was first cut to 1m4f in 1853 and assumed its current 1 mile trip in 1855.

The closure of the Lincoln racetrack in 1964 marked the end for the old course, but not for its most famous race. Doncaster quickly stepped in to play host to the event and it has remained at the Yorkshire venue ever since.

Probably the most talented of the early winners was Bendigo. This colt by Ben Battle went on to prove himself a good bit better than a handicapper, taking the Hardwicke Stakes, Jubilee Stakes, Champion Stakes and the inaugural running of the Eclipse Stakes in an excellent career.

The Lincoln continues to throw up a Group class performer from time to time, with the William Haggas trained Penitent being a good example from more recent times. Announcing his arrival on the scene with a win here in 2010, the son of Kyllachy went on to record four wins in Listed company and three in Group class contests.

The overall trend of this race is for it to be won by a relatively unexposed, younger runner. That is not always the case though, with Hunters Of Brora’s win in 1998 at the age of eight making him the oldest winner since the race was switched to Doncaster.

Given the fiercely competitive nature of this contest, it is perhaps no surprise that no horse has recorded more than one win in the race since the switch to Doncaster. There were however two who doubled up at Lincoln, namely Ob (1906, 1907) and Babur (1957,1958).

The all-time jockey and trainer records also belong to a bygone era. Charlie Maidment recorded four wins in the saddle between the years of 1868 and 1873, whilst Jack Robinson’s quartet of victories between 1896 and 1910 put him out in front in the training ranks.

Since the switch to Doncaster, Greville Starkey and Jimmy Fortune lead the way amongst the jockeys with three wins apiece. Paul Cole and William Haggis also each have a hat-trick of wins to their name, setting the pace amongst the trainers in the modern era.