Dave Massey is back ahead of The Lincoln and gives his best bet from Kempton as well as Doncaster Racing Tips on the first day of the new turf flat season in Britain.
Doncaster Racing Tips: March 27th 2026
More likely winners for sure, but with just the nine runners I can’t resist a small each-way wager on likely rank outsider Sheradann, who has a record over this C&D of 3210, and after a couple of slightly below-par efforts (although by no means disgraced in either) the handicapper has been generous and dropped him back to his last winning mark of 89.
Doncaster Racing Tips: Sheradann (Kempton, 2.08)
Sheradann (2.08) looks like he’s been teed up with this race in mind, and as long as he doesn’t get involved in the likely pace battle on the front, and can settle in behind the leaders, he should have his chance late on.
Doncaster Racing Tips: Annaf (1:50)
Annaf (1.50) wasn’t seen on turf until May last year, suggesting he might have had a slight setback after his run at Riyadh in February, but there are no such issues this time around and after another eyecatching effort at Riyadh this time around, where he had no run until late and ran on well once he did, he can go close here.
He improved at the end of last season to take the Bengough Stakes at Ascot, beating the evergreen Apollo One in the process, and it’s worth bearing in mind his only visit to Doncaster to date saw him win the Portland Handicap back in 2023. Conditions here look ideal, six furlongs with a bit of cut, and he’ll some speed to his right to take him into this. The Mick Appleby yard are hitting top gear, and he looks a spot of value.
Doncaster Racing Tips: On The River (2:25)
The two that interested me for this in the week have been drawn next to one another, which I could have done without as it’s somewhat all-eggs-in-one-basket, but nevertheless we press on. On The River (2.25) ran well first time up last year when beaten a length at Ripon by the improving Overnight Oats, and came good when winning the Carlisle Bell in June.
He returned to form when second to Prosperitas on his final start here in the autumn, and is 6lb better off today, which should bring the two closer together, and he still looks on a fair mark to start this season off with, 2lb lower than that Carlisle win. He’s happy on most ground and his middle draw gives P J McDonald options as to where to go. Next door is Principality (2.25), and Harry Eustace worked out the key to this horse in the summer, winning over a mile at Goodwood on ground Timeform called good to soft.
That was the only time he’s encountered ground with some cut in it – after that, five further outings on good and good to firm ground saw him continue to run well, but not quite to the same level, and it might be he just needs a bit of cut to show his best. Although he took a run or two to find form last year, those efforts came at shorter trips and I’m happy to think he’ll be forward enough for a yard flying along at present.
Doncaster Racing Tips: The Lincoln (3:32)
By total contrast, the two I like in the Lincoln are on the extremes of the draw, with Greek Order in stall 1 and Mirabeau in stall 22. Greek Order, after a frankly disastrous time with Bill Mott in America in 2024, went to Michael Bell and that saw an immediate turnaround in his fortunes. On debut for the yard, he finished an excellent fourth in the Royal Hunt Cup, finishing second among those drawn high (only winner and favourite My Cloud beat him up the near rail) he ran to a very similar level in good-class handicaps at Sandown and Goodwood in the summer before going off the boil in the second half of the season.
The handicapper has been quite generous, dropping him back to a mark a pound lower than that Hunt Cup run, and it may be he’s the sort best caught fresh. On goes a visor for the first time (and that’s a positive with the Bell runners overall) and Michael Bell has caught fire lately, with six of his last seven runners winners. So we’re backing one very much from a yard in form.
Mirabeau is a bit more “guessy”, but is totally unexposed at a mile, and I mean totally; twelve runs to date have either been at six, seven or around ten furlongs. And he does get ten furlongs, so his stamina for the mile ought not be in question, and after dropping him back to seven furlongs last year he was placed in the Schweppes Handicap at Ascot, and ran well here at Doncaster too. He was over the top (and outclassed) on his final start of the season but has gone well fresh, has been gelded over the winter, and in backing one drawn low and one drawn high, you’d like to think we’ve got all bases covered!
By Dave Massey
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