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The countdown to the start of the 2012 Flat turf season intensified today with the publication of the five-day confirmations for the £100,000 William Hill Lincoln, which takes place at Doncaster on the opening day of the new campaign on Saturday.
A total of 74 contenders remain in the William Hill Lincoln, run on the straight mile at Town Moor. Eton Forever is currently the 6/1 favourite with sponsor William Hill. Trained by Roger Varian, the five-year-old is no stranger to success at Doncaster having taken the William Hill Spring Mile over the course and distance at this meeting 12 months ago.
Next best in the market is Fury at 7/1. Trained by William Haggas, seeking a fourth William Hill Lincoln success, the four-year-old finished fifth to the mighty Frankel in last year's 2000 Guineas but has to bounce back from some disappointing efforts on his final three starts of 2011.
Trainer David O'Meara opened the doors at his Arthington Barn Stables in Nawton, North Yorkshire, to the press this morning to talk about his two William Hill Lincoln contenders, Penitent and Smarty Socks, who are both 20/1 chances with William Hill. Penitent won the William Hill Lincoln in 2010 when trained by William Haggas while Smarty Socks was a hugely consistent performer in 2011, winning two competitive handicaps at Doncaster and Ascot.
O'Meara revealed: “I'd like to run both, but we'll have to see how the ground is riding for Penitent as he wouldn't want it good to firm - a lot will depend on the weather.
“Smarty Socks was a real star for us last season, winning a big handicap at Ascot and coming second in another. He's in grand old form.
“He's now rated 102 and whether he's good enough to win off that mark I don't know but he might not have finished improving yet.
“He didn't hit form until the summer last year, but that might be more to do with the going as he does prefer faster ground. He ran pretty well when he was sixth in the Spring Mile, the consolation race for the Lincoln and he's been in earlier this year so I don't think fitness will be a problem. He's probably most effective at seven furlongs but he does stay a mile.
“Penitent was bought by Middleham Park Racing at the sales last autumn and won the Lincoln two years ago when he was rated 98.
“He's up to 108 now but he does work like a nice horse.
“He won a Listed race on good ground in 2010 but most of his other form has come on good to soft, so quick ground would be a worry for him, particularly when there are other races to think about this season. There is a choice of three races for him - the Lincoln, the Listed race the following day, or a Group Three at Saint-Cloud. I'll talk to the owners and see what we decide.
“If both horses run, Danny Tudhope will have the choice of rides and make up his mind on Thursday morning.”
Smarty Socks will run for the first time on Saturday in the colours of Direct Racing, an ownership syndicate offering shares in five horses from O'Meara's yard for £159 a year.
The Maktoum family's racing operation, Godolphin, is set to be represented in the William Hill Lincoln for the first time in 2012 with two runners - Man Of Action (16/1) and Start Right (12/1). The four-year-old Man Of Action got the better of Eton Forever when landing the AgriArgo UK Tractor Challenge Handicap over a mile at Doncaster in September last year and has been seen in action at Meydan, Dubai, twice so far this season. Start Right, who also in action at Meydan earlier in 2012, put up some good performances last year including when sixth in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot. Both horses are trained by Saeed bin Suroor.
Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager, commented: “Both horses will run provided the ground is good or faster and have had a good winter in Dubai.
“Man Of Action is a course and distance winner over Doncaster's straight mile and likes being held up for a late run off a fast pace but just needs things to go his own way.
“Start Right has been freshened up since finishing third at Meydan last month and is going well at the moment.
“They are both fit after a winter campaign in Dubai, though neither managed to win, and arrived back in Britain on Sunday (March 25).
“This will be the first time Godolphin has had runners in the Lincoln. These two horses belong in heritage handicaps and there are only so many of them in the programme book.
“With Man Of Action being a course and distance winner, it seemed the obvious race for him, while there was nothing left for Start Right in Dubai. Start Right has been frustrating because he often runs very well but has not managed to get his head in front recently. One day his turn will come and hopefully that will be on Saturday.
“The key to both these horses is for them to have decent ground - on the fast side of good ideally - and they definitely do not want soft going.”
The William Hill Lincoln has a maximum field of 22. Horses that miss the cut are eligible to run in the consolation contest, the £40,000 William Hill Spring Mile, which opens Saturday's card at 2.05pm.
Also featuring on Saturday's card are the £33,000 Listed Cammidge Trophy (2.40pm) over six furlongs and the £10,000 Download William Hill From The App Store Brocklesby Conditions Stakes (3.50pm) over five furlongs for two-year-olds.
The William Hill Lincoln Meeting continues on Sunday, April 1, when the highlight is the £33,000 Listed Best Odds Guaranteed At williamhill.com Doncaster Mile (3.55pm).
For further information and to book tickets, please go to www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk
For further background on the William Hill Lincoln, please refer to the attached media guide.
LATEST GOING
The going at Doncaster is currently GOOD.
Clerk of the Course Jon Pullin commented today: “We had 14 millimetres of rain a fortnight ago and we put some water on last week to maintain the grass growth. We are forecast a dry week with temperatures between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius until Thursday, with slightly cooler conditions expected on Friday and into the weekend.
“We are putting five millimetres of water down on the straight course on Monday with a further five millimetres on the round course on Tuesday and we will assess conditions after that.
“It has been a milder winter compared to last year, which has meant that the course is starting off in a much better position than it was 12 months ago. We have got a decent covering of grass and we are happy where we are.”
William Hill Lincoln Handicap - William Hill bet: 6/1 Eton Forever, 7/1 Fury, 11/1 Primaeval, 12/1 Cocozza, Edinburgh Knight, Start Right, 14/1 Robemaker, 16/1 Man Of Action, 20/1 Brae Hill, Chiswick Bey, Don't Call Me, Leviathan, Mia's Boy, Mull Of Killough, Penitent, Prime Exhibit, Smarty Socks, Stevie Thunder, 25/1 Amitola, Askaud, Barren Brook, Call To Reason, Clockmaker, Field Of Dream, Kingscroft, Kyllachy Star, Lowther, Mont Ras, Nazreef, Pintura, 33/1 BAR (EW ¼ 1,2,3,4)
William Hill spokeswoman Lucy Rhodes said: “It's been all about the front two in the run-up, but momentum has definitely swung back in the direction of the Cheveley Park Stud-owned contender Fury this morning.”
William Hill Spring Mile - William Hill bet: 7/1 Robemaker, 10/1 Nazreef, Prime Exhibit, 14/1 Captain Bertie, Perfect Cracker, 16/1 Chiswick Bey, Kingscroft, Mont Ras, Prince of Burma, Reve de Nuit, Silvery Moon, 20/1 Amitola, Barren Brook, Crown Counsel, Dubai Dynamo, Kay Gee Be, Kyllachy Star, Leviathan, Mawaakef, Norse Blues, Redvers, Shamdarley, Snow Bay, Swiftly Done, Weapon of Choice, 25/1 BAR (EW ¼ 1,2,3,4) ANY HORSE THAT GAINS A RUN IN THE WILLIAM HILL LINCOLN WILL BE TREATED AS BALLOTTED OUT & STAKES REFUNDED