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William Hill Lincoln 2008 |
William Hill Lincoln
Saturday 22nd March 2008
Rio Riva Primed for Doncaster Test
17/03/08
Last year’s runner-up Rio Riva (25/1 with William Hill) is among 90 horses to stand their ground at the five-day confirmation stage for the prestigious £125,000 William Hill Lincoln (3.45pm) at Doncaster on Saturday, March 22, which is the first big prize of the 2008 turf Flat season.
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The lucrative William Hill Lincoln is a race steeped in tradition and this year marks the return of the historic contest to Doncaster’s Town Moor following a stunning redevelopment of the racecourse. The contest was staged at Redcar in 2006 and Newcastle in 2007.
The Julie Camacho-trained Rio Riva finished a length second to Very Wise (16/1) in last year’s renewal and went on to secure the GNER Seaton Deleval Trophy over a mile at Gosforth Park in June.
Camacho revealed today: “Rio Riva goes to Doncaster for the William Hill Lincoln, God willing. We were delighted with his run last year and he seems to be in good form this time around.”
The six-year-old was making his seasonal bow when going close last term and Camacho is taking the same approach this time around.
The Malton handler said: “It suits Rio Riva to go to the race first time up. He is definitely better fresh and he went for the race first time out last year too. He seems to run his best races first time up, so that won’t be a worry.
“He has run well at Doncaster in the past, so the course will suit. In an ideal world we would like the race to be run at Newcastle again because he won there last year after finishing second in the William Hill Lincoln at the course. The straight mile at Doncaster won’t be a problem though, and it is close to home.”
Camacho is hoping for a drop of rain to help Rio Riva’s chances in the incredibly competitive start of season cavalry charge.
She continued: “The more rain the better for him. He is by Pivotal and most Pivotals like it on the easy side. They tell me the rain is coming but we will see. Even if we get the right ground, the draw will play a part, and if we get both of those in our favour it is still a hard race to win. It is always very tough and competitive.
“The horse is in good form and we are happy with him at the moment. It will be very nice if we can go one place better than last year, but it will be tough.”
Fellow North Yorkshire trainer Alan Swinbank is seriously considering the William Hill Lincoln for the lightly-raced four-year-old Stevie Gee (20/1), who won four times as a juvenile in 2006, including the Listed Ripon Champion Two-Year-Old Trophy.
Stevie Gee raced only twice last term and returned from a near 10-month lay-off to finish behind Jack Sullivan at Lingfield on February 23, before looking as though still in need of the outing when fifth of sixth to course specialist Silver Hotspur at Southwell on March 4.
Swinbank revealed today: “We will most likely take our chance in the William Hill Lincoln. I don‘t know whether he gets the mile or not but I was pleased with his run at Southwell last time.
“He had a few niggles last season but he has come right now and is very, very well. His rating now is 83 and when he was put in it was 95, so that would worry me.”
The William Hill Lincoln, down Town Moor’s straight mile, is one of the most eagerly-anticipated betting heats of the season. Last year’s fantastic renewal was won in great style by the William Haggas-trained Very Wise, who is set to be reopposed by the three horses that finished closest to him on that occasion.
As well as runner-up Rio Riva, this year’s field could also include third-placed Mutawaffer (25/1), trained by Richard Fahey, and fourth-placed Raptor (25/1) from the Karl Burke stable.
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The field could also include two more past winners in the John Quinn-trained Blythe Knight (2006), successful the Group Three Diomed Stakes at Epsom last year, who would shoulder top-weight of 9st 10lb, and the Mark Tompkins-trained Babodana, who scored at Doncaster four years ago.
The long-time market leader with the sponsor for the William Hill Lincoln
is the Barry Hills-trained Zaahid at 6/1. The Sir Michael Stoute-trained
Lang Shining (7/1), owned by Ballymacoll Stud, could bid to emulate 2005
winner Stream Of Gold, who won for the same connections.
The Michael Jarvis-trained Prince Forever, a thrice raced Giant’s Causeway four-year-old is next in the betting at 10/1, while the John Gosden-trained Escape Route, primed from three runs at the Dubai International Racing Carnival, is a 12/1 shot, as is the Andrew Balding-trained Yeaman’s Hall.
Atlantic Story (14/1) won the seven-furlong diamondracing.co.uk Handicap at Lingfield on March 15 and may bid for a hat-trick at Doncaster, while Don’t Panic from the Peter Chapple-Hyam yard is available at the same price having landed a pair of wins over a mile at Goodwood in 2007.
Little White Lie (14/1) could mount an Irish challenge for trainer Ger Lyons, while James Bethell is aiming the popular and classy 10-year-old Mine (33/1) at the race.
Donald McCain, fresh from a Cheltenham Festival victory, could saddle Temple Place in a bid to capture the traditional Spring Double, as he also trains Cloudy Lane, the current 6/1 market leader for the second leg, the John Smith’s Grand National.
Others remaining at the five-day stage for the William Hill Lincoln include the Richard Hannon-trained Plum Pudding, runner-up in the williamhill.co.uk Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton on March 8, stablemate Vitznau, Heaven Knows, Smokey Oakey, Annemasse, European Dream, Ella Woodcock, Fajr and Hoh Wotanite.
The William Hill Lincoln is the centrepiece of a tremendous seven-race card, sponsored exclusively by William Hill, at Doncaster on Saturday, the first day of the new Flat turf season.
The fixture also features the first two-year-old race of the season, the williamhillpoker.com Brocklesby Stakes (2.15pm), while horses that fail to make the cut for the William Hill Lincoln are eligible to line up in the William Hill Spring Mile (2.50pm). The safety limit for the William Hill Lincoln is 22.
William Hill
betting on the William Hill Lincoln:
6-1 Zaahid, 8-1 Lang Shining, 10-1 Prince Forever, 12-1 Escape Route, Yeaman’s
Hall 14-1 Atlantic Story, Don't Panic, Heaven Knows, Little White Lie,
Smokey Oakey, Vitznau, 16-1 Plum Pudding, Very Wise, 20-1 Annemasse, Blythe
Knight, European Dream, Fajr, Fremen, Stevie Gee, 25-1 Electric Warrior,
Ella Woodcock, Hoh Wotanite, Jewelled Dagger, Minority Report, Mutawaffer,
Orchard Supreme, Partners in Jazz, Pelican Waters, Raptor, Rio Riva, Watamu,
Zero Tolerance, 33-1 Azarole, Babodana, Benanadonner, Classic Port, Danehillsundance,
Den’s Gift, Dhualdar Dhar, Dream Lodge, Fortunate Isle, Granston,
Heywood, Kings Point, Middlemarch, Mine, Mount Hernon, Mr Aviator, Red
Romeo, Red Somerset, Regal Parade, Royal Dignitary, Royal Power, Samarinda,
Skhilling Spirit, Strath Gallant, Trafalagar Square, Troubadour, White
Deer, Yarqus, 40-1 bar (Each way ¼ the odds 1,2,3,4)
