Lincoln Handicap: Al Mubhir leads betting for Doncaster curtain raiser
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The William Haggas-trained Al Mubhir heads Coral’s Lincoln Handicap betting odds at 4/1 ahead of the traditional turf-season curtain-raiser at Doncaster on Saturday.
The lightly-raced four-year-old has come in for plenty of support this week, but Simon and Ed Crisford also look to have a progressive rival in the shape of Awaal, who is next in the betting at 5/1 as 22 runners go to post.
Coral’s Lewis Knowles said: “The Lincoln is the traditional curtain-raiser for the flat season, and one I know many racing fans look forward to.
“Once again, it’s an incredibly competitive renewal, but William Haggas had a fantastic season in 2022, and Al Mubhir looks to have a big chance of kicking off this term with a bang for team Haggas.”
The feature Visit https://t.co/PDmSwgJ4WB Handicap goes to Al Mubhir, with the Frankel colt powering clear of the field to score for trainer William Haggas and hand a quickfire double to jockey @TomMarquand 👏 pic.twitter.com/xRtIeXWzvJ
— Haydock Park Races (@haydockraces) October 14, 2022
One of the interesting runners on Town Moor is Jimi Hendrix, who has struck all the right chords in his preparation and is 14/1 in the Lincoln Handicap betting odds.
The Ralph Beckett-trained four-year-old will step into the spotlight with a few questions to answer after three sub-par performances, which followed his fine third in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot and subsequent victory in the bet365 Mile at Newmarket.
Owned by Chelsea Thoroughbreds’ Purple Haze syndicate, connections feel he is a big winner waiting to happen and he will break from stall eight.
Former Channel 4 Racing presenter Emma Spencer, who is managing director and racing manager of the Chelsea Thoroughbreds syndicates, said that Jimi Hendrix is better than he showed in his last three runs.
“He probably had excuses to be fair,” she said. “He went to Goodwood in a valuable handicap and was drawn 21 of 22 and that was a complete waste of time. He didn’t have a hard race, just an impossible task.
“Then when he went to the Cambridgeshire, Rob Hornby got off him and felt that he didn’t like being crowded. It was the same big field in the Britannia, but in that race he ended up making the running.
📢 22 🏇 have been declared for Saturday’s Pertemps Network Lincoln here at Doncaster, including the leading fancy Al Mubhir for trainer William Haggas#TheFlatIsBack pic.twitter.com/A4TjK7AvGM
— Doncaster Racecourse (@DoncasterRaces) March 30, 2023
“Everywhere he was in the Cambridgeshire, he was surrounded and Rob felt he froze a bit. Then when he got complete daylight, he got going again. We thought he had a big chance in that.
“After that he went to Newbury and the ground was absolutely bottomless.”
Jimi Hendrix, a son of New Bay, was gelded after his final run last term and has been working well ahead of his drop back to a mile for his return.
Spencer added: “Sometimes it makes them concentrate a bit more. I’m a fan of gelding something that doesn’t need to be a colt, full stop. You see improvement in every way. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him and as a four-year-old, we’d hope he will have a good year.
“To be fair, this year his work has been really good and Ralph couldn’t be more happy with him. He won his maiden at Doncaster, and while there is rain forecast, he goes in soft ground.
Here’s the draw for the Pertemps Network Lincoln! @DoncasterRaces pic.twitter.com/hwaob7i9yn
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 30, 2023
“He’s always a horse that Ralph has loved. It is well within him to win a race of this nature then step up. Things just really didn’t go his way at the back end of last season and the Lincoln is a really good starting point for him.”
The Haggas duo of Al Mubhir and Montassib have been drawn in stalls 10 and 21 respectively, with Charlie Fellowes’ Atrium in stall 13.
Awaal and Wanees are in stalls 17 and 22 respectively, but John and Thady Gosden did not declare Saga.
2023 Lincoln Handicap betting odds
4/1 Al Mubhir
5/1 Awaal
8/1 Wanees
10/1 Baradar, Majestic
11/1 Atrium
12/1 Montassib
14/1 Jimi Hendrix
16/1 Empirestateofmind
18/1 Bopedro
20/1 Croupier, Toshizou
25/1 Bar
All odds and market correct at date of publication
