Doncaster Saturday

William Hill Lincoln

THE Lincoln Handicap produced a most exciting finish with the William Haggas-trained Godwinson (Cieren Fallon) coming very late indeed to pip Oliver Show (George Boughey/Billy Loughnane) on the post to give the Newmarket trainer a record fifth win in the traditional curtain-raiser.

Tony Martin’s Irish Lincoln winner Orandi (Rossa Ryan) ran well in his bid to become the first horse to win both races, challenging until deep inside the final furlong and beaten just a neck by the first two.

Gemini sparkles

Dancing Gemini (Roger Teal/Kieran Shoemark) was well-supported into 9/4 favouritism before the Listed William Hill Doncaster Mile Stakes at Town Moor and never looked in much danger of defeat, as he cleared away in the closing stages to register a three and three-quarter-length win over Checkandchallenge (William Knight/Callum Shepherd) with Botanical (George Boughey/Billy Loughnane) in third.

Dancing Gemini was a close second on last year’s return in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains before running in the Derby, and this win shows again that he can go well fresh, and also that he’s trained on well despite failing to register a win last season.

Ground against us

“This is the horse we thought we had last year,” said Teal on ITV after the race. “Obviously, the Guineas in France and then the Derby took a lot out of him, then the ground was against us all season, but he put a great run in at Ascot to finish the season on a good note.

“Charyn won this race last year and we said we’d follow in his footsteps; he never won as a three-year-old either.

“I did say if he was to bolt up today then the Lockinge might be the one and it’s local, but we’ll keep our feet on the floor at the moment, speak to David [Fish, owner] and see what Kieran (Shoemark) has to say.

“I don’t think he could have been more impressive than that, he had a good field behind him there.”

Cammidge Trophy

Spycatcher (Karl Burke/James Doyle) came out best in a rough race for the Listed Cammidge Trophy Stakes, winning by half a length from Iberian (Charlie Hills/Jason Watson), despite getting a bump from that rival, who hung badly left when making a challenge a furlong out, and in the course slightly hampering the 4/1 winner and also ending the hopes of race favourite James’s Delight.

Iberian had to be corrected by Watson and rallied well when straightened out to be beaten just a neck, suggesting he would have won a shade cosily if keeping straight. The pair were two lengths clear of the winner’s stablemate Marshman (Clifford Lee), who also met some trouble when trying to challenge.

Burke said: “It walks a lot quicker, there’s no soft out there I don’t think. It’s safe, dead ground, so we let him take his chance.

“He’s a scrabbly old mover, who has had plenty of little issues in his career and I told James to ride him to finish and, if it’s happening, great and don’t knock him around if it’s not and he’s ended up giving him a peach of a ride.”

Of the incident with the runner-up, he added: “I thought he caught us properly and that’s what spurred our fellow on again - he doesn’t do a lot when he’s in front - but watching the replay, he hampered Clive Cox’s horse more than us.

Brocklesby

The Brocklesby Stakes for unraced two-year-olds is a test of precocity and Amo Racing can be trusted to have their juveniles well forward every year.

It was therefore no surprise to see Norman’s Cay (Richard Hannon/David Egan) justify favouritism at 3/1, although the son of Sioux Nation was pretty coltish in the preliminaries and green in the race itself.

In the end, he got up only late to deny 25/1 outsider Son Of Sarabi (Jonny Portman/Rob Hornby) to win by a nose.

Kempton Saturday

FAVOURITE Soprano (George Boughey/William Buick) was weak in the betting, having gone off at 2/1 from opening quotes of odds-on, but she defied that apparent lack of confidence to take the Listed Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes from Crimson Advocate (John & Thady Gosden/Rab Havlin), but backers were given an almighty scare, as she was all out to hold on by a nose from the fast-finishing second having looked in complete control a furlong out. Rubies From Burmah (Henry de Bromhead/Oisin Murphy) was third, a further two and a half lengths away.

Harry Herbert, representing owners Highclere Thoroughbreds, was unperturbed by the late scare, and is looking forward to another trip to Ascot in June, as this filly has been placed at the Royal Meeting for the past two years.

“Soprano has proven she’s a Group 1 filly,” said Herbert. “And George was keen to come here. William said she’s too gassy and fresh, but she gave him a terrific feel. When he asked her to put the race to bed, despite running so free, she really kicked.

“I think that’s what we want to take out of this. Royal Ascot is so important to all of us, so that will be the plan, and I think all races lead there.”

The Kempton card kicked off with two historic handicaps, with the two-mile Queen’s Prize going to Cool Party (Charlie Johnston/Silvestre de Sousa) at 7/1 and the 1m3f Rosebery Stakes won by 4/1 favourite Teumessias Fox (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy).