Lincoln Handicap

Handicap race
Lincoln Handicap

Location	Doncaster Racecourse Doncaster, England
Inaugurated	1853
Race type	Flat / Thoroughbred
Sponsor	William Hill
Website	Doncaster
Race information
Distance	1 mile (1,609 metres)
Track	Turf, straight
Qualification	Four-years-old and up
Weight	Handicap
Purse	£100,000 (2011) 1st: £62,310

The Lincoln Handicap is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late March or early April.

It is a handicap race, and it is traditionally the feature event on the first Saturday of Britain's turf flat racing season. It usually takes place one or two weeks before the Grand National, and for gambling purposes the two races form the "Spring Double".

History

A race called the Lincolnshire Handicap with a distance of 2 miles was first run at Lincoln in August 1849. The venue introduced a new fixture in 1853, which was initially scheduled for February and later moved to March. This included the Lincoln Spring Handicap, an event contested over 1½ miles in its first two years and over a mile thereafter. The summer version ended when the meeting was temporarily discontinued in 1857, and the spring race was renamed the Lincolnshire Handicap in 1859.

The title was shortened to the Lincoln Handicap in 1965, when the race was transferred to Doncaster following the closure of its original venue. The bookmaker William Hill supported the event for several years prior to 1997, and began a new period of sponsorship in 2006.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

• Ob – 1906, 1907
• Babur – 1957, 1958

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Leading jockey (4 wins):

• Charlie Maidment – Indigestion (1868), Royal Rake (1870), Guy Dayrell (1872), Vestminster (1873)

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Leading trainer (4 wins):

• Jack Robinson – Clorane (1896), Winkfield's Pride (1897), Prince Barcaldine (1898), Cinderello (1910)

Winners since 1980

• Weights given in stones and pounds.

Year	Winner	Age	Weight	Jockey	Trainer	SP	Time
1980	King's Ride	4	8-12	Geoff Baxter	Bill Wightman	1010 10/1
1981	Saher	5	8-12	Ray Cochrane	Ron Sheather	1014 14/1
1982	King's Glory	4	8-03	Bryn Crossley	Philip Mitchell	1011 11/1
1983	Mighty Fly	4	8-04	Steve Cauthen	David Elsworth	1014 14/1
1984	Saving Mercy	4	8-09	Walter Swinburn	Dermot Weld	1014 14/1
1985	Cataldi	4	9-10	Greville Starkey	Guy Harwood	1010 10/1
1986	K-Battery	5	8-04	John Lowe	Bill Elsey	1025 25/1	1:44.64
1987	Star of a Gunner	7	8-08	John Reid	Richard Holder	1009 9/1	1:45.04
1988	Cuvee Charlie	4	8-01	Mark Rimmer	Hugh Collingridge	1033 33/1	1:46.00
1989	Fact Finder	5	7-09	Tyrone Williams	Reg Akehurst	1020 20/1	1:37.48
1990	Evichstar	6	7-12	Alan Munro	Jimmy FitzGerald	1033 33/1	1:38.90
1991	Amenable	6	8-01	Alex Greaves	David Barron	1022 22/1	1:42.75
1992	High Low	4	8-00	Jimmy Quinn	William Haggas	1016 16/1	1:42.74
1993	High Premium	5	8-08	Kieren Fallon	Lynda Ramsden	1016 16/1	1:37.90
1994	Our Rita	5	8-05	Darryll Holland	Dr Jon Scargill	1016 16/1	1:37.97
1995	Roving Minstrel	4	8-03	Kevin Darley	Bryan McMahon	1033 33/1	1:40.11
1996	Stone Ridge	4	8-07	Dane O'Neill	Richard Hannon	1033 33/1	1:44.67
1997	Kuala Lipis	4	8-06	Richard Quinn	Paul Cole	1011 11/1	1:39.02
1998	Hunters of Brora	8	9-00	Jason Weaver	James Bethell	1016 16/1	1:41.60
1999	Right Wing	5	9-05	Richard Quinn	John Dunlop	1004.5 9/2 F	1:41.60
2000	John Ferneley	5	8-10	Jimmy Fortune	Paul Cole	1007 7/1 JF	1:41.12
2001	Nimello	5	8-09	Jimmy Fortune	Paul Cole	1004.5 9/2 F	1:46.68
2002	Zucchero	6	8-13	Simon Whitworth	David Arbuthnot	1033 33/1	1:45.44
2003	Pablo	4	8-11	Michael Hills	Barry Hills	1005 5/1	1:39.18
2004	Babodana	4	9-10	Philip Robinson	Mark Tompkins	1020 20/1	1:40.15
2005	Stream of Gold	4	9-00	Robert Winston	Sir Michael Stoute	1005 5/1 F	1:38.18
2006	Blythe Knight	6	8-10	Graham Gibbons	John Quinn	1022 22/1	1:44.33
2007	Very Wise	5	8-11	Joe Fanning	William Haggas	1009 9/1	1:46.18
2008	Smokey Oakey	4	8-09	Jimmy Quinn	Mark Tompkins	1010 10/1	1:42.38
2009	Expresso Star	4	8-12	Jimmy Fortune	John Gosden	1003.3333333333 10/3 F	1:36.51
2010	Penitent	4	9-02	Johnny Murtagh	William Haggas	1003 3/1 F	1:43.31
2011	Sweet Lightning	6	9-04	Johnny Murtagh	Michael Dods	1016 16/1	1:38.38

^a The race was run at Redcar in 2006.
^b It was held at Newcastle in 2007.

Earlier winners

• 1853: Caurire
• 1854: Georgey
• 1855: Saucebox
• 1856: Flageolet
• 1857: Huntingdon
• 1858: Vandermulin
• 1859: Bel Esperanza
• 1860: Vigo
• 1861: Benbow
• 1862: Suburban
• 1863: Manrico
• 1864: Benjamin
• 1865: Gaily
• 1866: Treasure Trove
• 1867: Vandervelde
• 1868: Indigestion
• 1869: Sycee
• 1870: Royal Rake
• 1871: Vulcan
• 1872: Guy Dayrell
• 1873: Vestminster
• 1874: Tomahawk
• 1875: The Gunner
• 1876: Controversy
• 1877: Footstep
• 1878: Kaleidoscope
• 1879: Touchet
• 1880: Rosy Cross
• 1881: Buchanan
• 1882: Poulet
• 1883: Knight of Burghley
• 1884: Tonans
• 1885: Bendigo
• 1886: Fulmen
• 1887: Oberon
• 1888: Veracity
• 1889: Wise Man
• 1890: The Rejected
• 1891: Lord George
• 1892: Clarence
• 1893: Wolf's Crag
• 1894: Le Nicham

• 1895: Euclid
• 1896: Clorane
• 1897: Winkfield's Pride
• 1898: Prince Barcaldine
• 1899: General Peace
• 1900: Sir Geoffrey
• 1901: Little Eva
• 1902: St Maclou
• 1903: Over Norton
• 1904: Uninsured
• 1905: Sansovino
• 1906: Ob
• 1907: Ob
• 1908: Kaffir Chief
• 1909: Duke of Sparta
• 1910: Cinderello
• 1911: Mercutio
• 1912: Long Set
• 1913: Berrilldon
• 1914: Outram
• 1915: View Law
• 1916: Clap Gate ¹
• 1917–18: no race
• 1919: Royal Bucks
• 1920: Furious
• 1921: Soranus
• 1922: Granely
• 1923: White Bud
• 1924: Sir Gallahad
• 1925: Tapin
• 1926: King of Clubs
• 1927: Priory Park
• 1928: Dark Warrior
• 1929: Elton
• 1930: Leonidas
• 1931: Knight Error
• 1932: Jerome Fandor
• 1933: Dorigen
• 1934: Play On
• 1935: Flamenco
• 1936: Over Coat
• 1937: Marmaduke Jinks

• 1938: Phakos
• 1939: Squadron Castle
• 1940: Quartier-Maitre
• 1941: Gloaming
• 1942: Cuerdley ²
• 1943: Lady Electra ²
• 1944: Backbite ²
• 1945: Double Harness
• 1946: Langton Abbot
• 1947: Jockey Treble
• 1948: Commissar
• 1949: Fair Judgement
• 1950: Dramatic
• 1951: Barnes Park
• 1952: Phariza
• 1953: Sailing Light
• 1954: Nahar
• 1955: Military Court
• 1956: Three Star
• 1957: Babur
• 1958: Babur
• 1959: Marshal Pil
• 1960: Mustavon
• 1961: Johns Court
• 1962: Hill Royal
• 1963: Monawin
• 1964: Mighty Gurkha
• 1965: Old Tom
• 1966: Riot Act
• 1967: Ben Novus
• 1968: Frankincense
• 1969: Foggy Bell
• 1970: New Chapter
• 1971: Double Cream
• 1972: Sovereign Bill
• 1973: Bronze Hill
• 1974: Quizair
• 1975: Southwark Star
• 1976: The Hertford
• 1977: Blustery
• 1978: Captain's Wings
• 1979: Fair Season

¹ The 1916 running took place at Lingfield Park.
² The race was held at Pontefract during the period 1942–44.

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British flat horse races
• Recurring sporting events established in 1853 – this race is included under its original title, Lincoln Spring Handicap.

References

• Racing Post:
  • 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
  • 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

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• galopp-sieger.de – Lincoln Handicap (Lincolnshire Handicap).
• pedigreequery.com – Lincoln(shire) Handicap – Doncaster.
• Abelson, Edward; John Tyrrel (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. pp. 10–12. ISBN 1-873626-15-0.