ADDEYBB gave trainer William Haggas a fourth success in the 32Red Lincoln Handicap with an impressive performance at Doncaster.

The Yorkshire-born, Newmarket-based handler took the mile feature for the first time way back in 1992 with High Low, but neither that horse nor his other two winners, Very Wise (2007) and Penitent (2010), were as authoritative as Addeybb.

James Doyle oozed confidence throughout the race on the 5/1 chance, despite the stamina-sapping conditions. Hayadh took the field along, but he struggled to keep his place when the tempo increased and Addeybb loomed large.

Dark Red looked like taking a big hand in the finish, but he could not live with Addeybb, who stormed away to win by two and three-quarter lengths.

Top-weight Lord Glitters was sent off the 9/2 favourite and stayed on well to claim second, with Mitchum Swagger third and Gabrial, the winner in 2015, fourth.

Doyle, winning his first Lincoln, said: "I rode in the second race and it was pretty testing out there. This fella was lovely and relaxed. He was strong throughout. It was just a case of hoping Ed Dunlop's horse (Dark Red) would keep going and give me a tow for a bit longer.

"When he gets there, he doesn't do a whole lot, but he quickened up well and put the race to bed.

"I rode work on him up the Al Bahathri a few days ago and he put in a nice bit of work and gave me a great feel, so I knew he would go close.

"The ground was a bit of an unknown, but he had the right pedigree to do his stuff today. He's such an unassuming horse. He goes through the motions, he's not a flashy work horse at home. I wouldn't like to say how far he could go, but he's certainly a horse on the up."

Haggas said: "Our runner in the Spring Mile (Original Choice) loves the soft and he was beaten three furlongs from home so we were a bit concerned it might be too soft for him, but he showed he's ready for a step up in grade.

"The right horses were up in the front. The top-weight (Lord Glitters) is a good horse and Mitchum Swagger is a good horse, so I think the form will prove to be strong.

"In this ground anything can happen, but he's a Pivotal and we minded him as a young horse. He won the Silver Cambridgeshire well and I hope he's going to have a good year.

"We thought we'd go for the Sandown Mile next if something like this happened, so I see no reason to change it. It's a month away and it's good timing. I think the track will suit him, it should be slow ground and it's time he got up in grade."

RECORD

Haggas has now equalled Jack Robinson's record of four Lincoln winners, which were achieved between 1896 and 1910.

"That's great. We'll try to get the record some time," he said. "We always like to have a runner in the Lincoln and these days you need to be rated high 90s to get in. He was under 100 so he wouldn't be too high, but high enough to get in.

"The Lincoln has been a lucky race for us. I like to target races and it is worth £100,000. It's a good place to start and a boost to the yard if you can be lucky. You can win it with a horse who has dropped down the handicap a bit, but they are usually won by one with a bit more to offer.

"He's done a bit at home, but he's lazy and not very good on the all-weather, so I think James got a bit of a shock today."

"We're trying to build a relationship with James, but he's still contracted to Godolphin. They didn't use him much last year, but they probably will this year.

"We're trying to get a jockey who will ride regularly and be available in the better races. We'd like Ryan (Moore), but so would everyone else."

Jockey Danny Tudhope said of the David O'Meara-trained Lord Glitters: "He's run a big race with top weight and while he can handle that ground, I'd love to ride him on some better ground. Either way it's a nice starting point to the season."

LISTED MILE

Zabeel Prince made all the running in a triumphant first start for 154 days in the Listed Unibet Doncaster Mile.

Andrea Atzeni dictated affairs in the six-runner field and tried to save something for the finish on the testing ground. Born To Be Alive put in a stern challenge, but Zabeel Prince showed his class by pulling away in the closing stages to score by two and a half lengths. Another Touch was third.

Tabarrak's comeback run after 183 days off the track proved disappointing, as he weakened quite some way from home.

Trainer Roger Varian said of the 10/11 favourite: "He's quite good my horse I think, and I thought Andrea was good on him. I was a bit worried when we were in front and concerned we'd run a bit fresh, but the horse switched off nicely.

"Andrea waited as long as he could until he asked him for his effort. I thought Karl's (Burke) horse was going to grab us two furlongs from home but, in fairness to the horse, he dug deep and it was a good performance.

"I think he is better with a lead, most horses are, but it looked like being tactical. We would have taken a lead, but if there wasn't anything obvious the plan was to keep it simple."

"Sheikh Mohammed Obaid has been very patient with his horse. He's five years old and only had six starts. There has never been any pressure from the owner to run him any more than we have, but I think he could be rewarded this year.

"He's a talented horse and I think he'll peak as a five-year-old. I will speak with his owner, but I'm sure he'll be in all the good mile races.

LOCKINGE CANDIDATE

"Whether he recovers in time to go to Sandown for the Group 2, we'll have to see, but he'll probably warrant an entry in the Lockinge. Pattern races will be his future.

"He hasn't even been on the grass yet, so it was difficult to gauge how fit he was. I haven't had many runners in the winter and he was always going to be my first runner, I had nothing to go against so it's pleasing he was fit enough to win.

"My first ever winner, Eton Forever, was in the Spring Mile here and this is my seventh year now. I certainly wasn't as grey that day.

"Andrea was a bit worried, he thought he wasn't going to go anywhere when Born To Be Alive came upsides, but he's probably never been in that position before and it took him 100 yards to get his head down and kick into gear.

"I think he'll stay further than a mile on better ground but he doesn't lack speed, he was last off the bridle there and has the pace to win over seven."

Betfair gave Varian's star a 16/1 quote for the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 19th.

Perfect Pasture ran out a ready winner of the Listed Unibet Cammidge Trophy, the first race of the new turf season.

Very few horses got into the six-furlong contest, with the Mick Easterby-trained eight-year-old looking likely to land the spoils from some way out.

Smartly out of the stalls, Perfect Pasture (4/1 joint-favourite) shared the early running with Ice Age, before putting the race to bed a furlong out with a neat turn of foot.

Such was his dominance that David Allan was able to ease him down close home, with the official winning margin of a length and a quarter flattering the runner-up Mr Lupton. Ice Age was two lengths away in third.

Part-owner Steve Hull said: "I only got here as they were going in the stalls, as I'd been playing golf. Mick didn't even try to beat the traffic and said he'd set off after the first!

"He was second in a listed race here on the last day of last season and now he's won on the first day. He's eight now, but obviously still getting better - he's a very strong horse now but he doesn't do a tap at home so we didn't know how fit he was.

"He saved my season last year – he won £50,000 in the last few weeks. The Duke of York wouldn't be a bad shout in May, now he's won a listed. I love winning races at York."