A quick assessment of some of the recent trends in the Lincoln Handicap suggest this year’s race can narrowed down to just a handful of runners.
Weights between 9st and 9st 4lbs coupled with a rating of 99 or higher bring four horses into the equation – Awaal, Liberty Lane, Thunder Ball and The Gatekeeper.
Each of them falls into the prime age categories, which further strengthens the notion they should run well this weekend.
Liberty Lane has been well-backed in the ante-post market, but odds of 4/1 on horse racing betting sites look too short given just one favourite has won this race in the last 11 renewals.
Awaal was second last year and can run off the same weight. He finished placed in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot and Bunbury Cup at Newmarket and should be competitive.
The Gatekeeper runs well when fresh but is four pounds higher than his last winning mark which makes things tough on his seasonal reappearance.
Thunder Ball looks worth chancing on betting apps at double-figure odds to run into a place having ended last season with a career-best win at Goodwood on soft ground under the same jockey.
The third on that occasion Grey’s Monument subsequently franked the form in a Listed race at Kempton, which suggests Thunder Ball can go well in the Lincoln.
