2025 Doncaster Lincoln Meeting Preview – DS
2025 Doncaster Lincoln Meeting Tips
We got back to winning ways last weekend with our e/w NAP Kalium winning at 20/1 (R4). Unfortunately, we didn’t get anything else to go with him but a 20s winning NAP is better than nowt! The flat is well and truly back this weekend, check out Dave Stevos’ 2025 Doncaster Lincoln Meeting preview and tips below.
1.15 Doncaster – Brocklesby Stakes (Class 2)
I love this race. Ok, there’s no form and it is the one race where inside info is probably worth listening to but my approach is to simply study the pedigrees and trainer/jockey stats with first time out juveniles and it has served us well in recent years with Atherstone Warrior getting the e/w money at 20s last year and Primrose Ridge finishing second for us at 40s in 2022.
Amo Racing always like to get off to a fast start with their 2yos and their representative this year is Norman’s Cry, a son of Sioux Nation. However, there’s more stamina than speed on the dam side of his pedigree and while his half-brother did win as a juvenile in Germany, that was over a mile.
Son Worth A Look
I am going to take a punt on Son Of Sarabi here for Jonny Portman and Rob Hornby. Portman is probably best known for his exploits in handicaps but as he showed with Rumstar a couple of years ago, when he gets a good 2yo he is well able to train one.
He has only ever had one runner in this race and that was all the way back in 2002. The horse finished well beaten but I doubt he would be sending Son Of Sarabi on the long trek up north from his base in Berkshire unless he thought he had a chance of being competitive.
Cable Bay
Son Of Sarabi is by Cable Bay, a sire well capable of producing early 2yos (Liberty Beach a prime example). He’s a February foal, which is a plus as he has had more time to develop physically than those born later in the year. His dam didn’t race but his grand-dam won over 5f on her second start as a 2yo and she’s a half to Look Around, a two-time winner as a 2yo.
Jonny Portman has had ten 2yo winners on turf from 139 runners with 25 places in the last five seasons. So, around one in every four of his 2yos have hit the frame in that period. Rob Hornby has ridden more winning 2yos for him than any other jockey (15/191 with 43 top 4 finishes) and three of Portman’s nine previous 2yo runners at Doncaster have finished in the first four.
Obviously, this is not a maximum stakes bet but there’s enough encouragement to take from the stats to suggest that Son Of Sarabi is worth a few pennies e/w at odds of 50/1.
2025 Doncaster Lincoln Meeting Tip: Son Of Sarabi e/w @ 50/1 (4 places)
1.50 Doncaster – Spring Mile Handicap (Class 2)
Look Back Smiling won this on his reappearance last season off 83 with Brandon Wilkie taking off 5lb. Gemma Tutty has likely targeted the race again and her charge is now rated 82 so from a handicapping perspective, he has every chance of making it two in a row. However, he does seem best on testing ground and he’s drawn wider so reluctantly, I’ll have to pass on him.
At a bigger price, Pearl Eye could go well for Darryll Holland and Jason Watson. He won first time up last season and held his form well and Holland’s decision to give him a prep run for this at Wolverhampton two weeks ago looks to have been a wise one as he shaped as though he’d improve plenty for the run.
The cheekpieces worn that day are now replaced by blinkers. He hasn’t won in that headgear before but he was a very unlucky head second at Chester last September in blinkers off 83 and he is just 1lb higher now. This 5yo son of Expert Eye has won on all sorts of ground, Jason Watson was on board for his last win and Darryll Holland is 4/21 with four top 4 finishes with his runners at this venue.
From a decent draw in stall 4, Pearl Eye is worth chancing each way at odds of 33/1.
2025 Doncaster Lincoln Meeting Tip: Pearl Eye e/w @ 33/1 (6 places) nb
2.25 Doncaster – Cammidge Trophy Stakes (Listed)
James’s Delight heads the market for this Listed sprint and given his record fresh, it’s not surprising. Six furlongs is his trip, a bit of cut in the ground is fine and while there are a couple of higher rated horses in opposition, he is likely to go very close.
The only one that appeals at double figure odds is Frost At Dawn. This filly won a G3 at Meydan last March over 5f. She has yet to win over 6f but on her efforts over 5.5f at Ayr and at the Breeders’ Cup last season, it should be well within her compass.
The big worry for this filly would be soft ground. She has been a non-runner on good to soft before so she probably wants the ground to dry out. If it is good on the day she should be well capable of getting involved but if the ground isn’t suitable, hopefully William Knight takes her out. At odds of 12/1, it is worth taking a chance on Frost At Dawn.
2025 Doncaster Lincoln Meeting Tip: Frost At Dawn e/w @ 12/1
3.00 Doncaster – Doncaster Mile Stakes (Listed)
This is a tricky race. Witch Hunter, my nemesis, runs here instead of in the Lincoln and he has the ability to win if he puts his best foot forward. He has a fitness edge over a few of these too. Point Lynas is a horse we have backed before but he’d make more appeal on proper quick ground.
The one that might go well at a price is the George Boughey trained filly, Chic Colombine. By Seahenge, this 4yo started off last season with a bang, winning a listed race at Saint-Cloud by 6l. Two runs later, she pushed Breege all the way in an 8.5f Group 3 at Epsom.
Her last two runs of 2024 were poor but clearly, she must have had respiratory issues because she has undergone a wind operation in the off season. She also wears a tongue tie, so there are risks attached but first time up might be the time to catch her, she’ll appreciate a bit of an ease in the ground and if she is in the same form as she was on her seasonal reappearance last year, she should be up to hitting the frame here at odds of 16/1.
2025 Doncaster Lincoln Meeting Tip: Chic Colombine e/w @ 16/1
3.15 Kempton – Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes (Listed)
Last year we managed to find Rose Prick in this race and she defied market weakness to run a cracker and land the place money in third at 50/1. She proved that effort was no fluke subsequently, running big races in defeat in a hot handicap at Ascot and then in a trio of Listed races at Deauville, Longchamp and Lingfield.
She was having her first run of the season in this last year and it’s a similar scenario this time. Saffie Osborne, who remains the only jockey to have won on this daughter of No Nay Never, is back on board and like last year, she has been handed a nice starting berth in stall 3.
Given how well she ran in this in 2024, Ed Walker will surely have her as fit as he possibly can whereas many of her higher rated rivals will likely be using the race as a stepping stone towards bigger targets later in the season. At odds of 14/1, Rose Prick is the each way selection.
2025 Doncaster Lincoln Meeting Tip: Rose Prick e/w @ 14/1
3.35 Doncaster – The Lincoln Handicap (Heritage)
We have already backed two horses ante-post for this race. Whip Cracker, who we are on at 20s, has been drawn in stall 8, which isn’t too bad and Orne, our 33/1 stats based selection, starts from stall 4. You can read my reasoning for Whip Cracker here and for Orne here. Hopefully they both go well.
