The 2026 flat season officially begins on Saturday, with Doncaster hosting the first major card of the new campaign. The big betting race on the afternoon is the Lincoln, a one-mile handicap that was first run at Doncaster in 1853.
I've taken a look through the last Lincoln betting and listed some key trends, before picking out my best betting tips.
2026 Lincoln Odds
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Thunder Run | 5/1 |
| Midnight Gun | 7/1 |
| Native Warrior | 7/1 |
| Lattam | 12/1 |
| Godwinson | 14/1 |
| Orandi | 14/1 |
| Bar | 16/1 |
2026 Lincoln Trends
- 17 of the last 18 winners were having their first start in Britain that year
- 17 of the last 18 winners had won a race on turf
- 15 of the last 18 winners ran in good quality races last time out (Class 2 or above)
- 15 of the last 18 winners were aged four or five
- 14 of the last 18 winners were weighted between 8-10 and 9-4
- 14 of the last 18 winners had won over one mile or further
- 12 of the last 18 winners were drawn in stall 9 or wider
- 12 of the last 18 winners were rated between 95 and 100
- 12 of the last 18 winners went off at 9/1 or longer
No horse has ever carried more than 9-10 to victory in the Lincoln, but La Botte will attempt to do just that on Saturday. Jamie Spencer's mount has been drawn kindly in stall 13, and he certainly seems to have enough class to cope with top-weight.
William Haggas won a record fifth Lincoln 12 months ago, and has decided to just go with one runner, the prolific Eternal Force. Ryan Moore's son, Toby Moore has been booked to ride Anno Domini for Charlie Appleby, and he'll likely get backed into a single-figure price.
2026 Lincoln Handicap Tip 1 - Tribal Chief
David Menuisier won the Lincoln with Migration a couple of years ago, and TRIBAL CHIEF (16/1) looks set for a big run.
Menuisier's charge racked up a hat-trick of soft-ground handicap wins in the autumn of 2024, before twice finishing second to the ultra-classy Bullet Point at Newmarket, with a winter holiday in-between. A slow start ruined Tribal Chief's chances when sixth in the Golden Mile, but Sean Levey's mount returned to Goodwood to win at the end of December, before two fairly tame efforts in the Cambridgeshire and the Balmoral.
Plenty of rain is due to hit Doncaster on Friday, and even a spell of sunshine on Saturday should ensure that the ground for Lincoln day is fairly soft. Tribal Chief will love such conditions, and he should have a good each-way chance after a high draw in stall 21.
2026 Lincoln Handicap Tip 2 - Theoryofeverything
Another who would relish soft ground is THEORYOFEVERTHING (40/1) for David O'Meara.
Like our first selection, Theoryofeverthing enjoyed a consistent campaign in 2025, winning well at Ayr on his second outing of the season. O'Meara's six-year-old was touched off by Thunder Roar back at Ayr in September, and wasn't beaten all that far when tenth in the Balmoral on Champions Day, despite the good ground going slightly against him.
Theoryofeverthing ran well on his reappearance at Haydock last season, finishing a close fourth behind Great Chieftain. Oisin Orr's mount bolted up on his racecourse debut here at Doncaster, and a central draw in stall ten could turn out to be a plus.
Live Stream
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