Although there is plenty of top jumps racing ahead, none less than next week’s Grand National at Aintree, the focus this Saturday switches to the flat with eight races on ITV from Doncaster and Kempton.
- 1:15 Doncaster: William Hill Top Price Guarantee EBF Brocklesby Stakes – Norman’s Cay @ 9/4
- 1:50 Doncaster: William Hill Bet £10 Get £10 Spring Mile Handicap – Promethean @ 9/1
- 2:05 Kempton: Virgin Bet Queen’s Prize Handicap – Golden Rules @ 15/2
- 2:25 Doncaster: William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Cammidge Trophy Stakes – Spycatcher @ 9/2
- 2:40 Kempton: Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Rosebery Handicap – Mount Atlas @ 5/1
- 3:00 Doncaster: William Hill Doncaster Mile Stakes – Liberty Lane @ 9/4
- 3:15 Kempton: Virgin Bet Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes – Shuwari @ 4/1
- 3:35 Doncaster: William Hill Lincoln – Orandi @ 14/1
The Lincoln Handicap meeting marks the start of the flat turf season and ITV will be covering five races live from Doncaster on Saturday, the first of a two-day meeting.
The opening contest will be the Brocklesby Stakes, a 5f novice sprint. As the first two-year-old race of the season, this will be the first run for each of these runners. As a result, watching the betting will be crucial, with Richard Hannon’s Norman’s Cay the early favourite.
Next is the £75k Spring Mile Handicap, which is set to have a maximum field of 22. Trainer Gemma Tutty won this last year with Look Back Smiling who will line up once more to defend his crown. Slightly ahead of the 5-year-old in the betting are Edward Bethell’s Naepoint, Ed Dunlop’s Pressure’s On and David Menuisier’s Promethean.
Race three from Doncaster is the Listed Cammidge Trophy. This 6f sprint was won last year by William Haggas’ Montassib, who went on to record victory in the Sprint Cup at Haydock and finished fifth in the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot. One place behind Montassib on British Champions Day was Karl Burke’s Spycatcher with Clive Cox’s James’s Delight back in eighth. Both are set line up here on Saturday.
Karl Burke saddles the favourite in the next live race on Town Moor, Liberty Lane in the Listed Doncaster Mile Stakes. The betting suggests his main rivals will be Roger Teal’s Dancing Gemini and George Boughey’s Botanical.
The big betting heat of the day, the Lincoln Handicap, will be the final live ITV race on Saturday. This historic race was first run in 1853, and sees a maximum field of 22 compete over the straight mile. Tony Martin’s Orandi won the Irish version of this race at the Curragh just under a fortnight ago and is attempting the elusive double in what is a competitive looking renewal.
Kempton’s all-weather Spring Saturday fixture will have three televised races. The 2m Queen’s Prize Handicap is followed by the £100k Rosebery Handicap and the Listed Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes. The latter see’s George Boughey’s Soprano installed as favourite, who’s last run came in a tenth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Chief amongst the challengers is Ollie Sangster’s Shuwari who was runner-up in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket back in October.