How To Bet £20 on Saturday: history beckons in Lincoln

No horse has ever pulled off the Anglo-Irish double in the same season but Orandi looks overpriced at a general 11-1 to rewrite the record books at Doncaster on Saturday.

Not many have gone for the double, although Chazzesmee was a notable exception last year. He was backed off the boards and went off at just 5-2 but the money stayed in the satchels of the bookmakers as he could manage only fifth.

It will be a case of once bitten, twice shy for some after his reverse but keep in mind that Chazzesmee had only five days to catch his breath between The Curragh and Doncaster, plus he’d had to plough through heavy ground in Ireland and conditions were similarly tough at Town Moor. 

By contrast, Orandi has had an extra week to catch his breath and he didn’t appear to have an overly hard race when beating 26 rivals at The Curragh as he coasted through most of the contest before fending off Kortez Boy in the closing stages. The pair were on a different plane and pulled almost five lengths clear of the rest, with the winning time being the best part of 6 seconds quicker than Chazzesmee had achieved 12 months earlier (indicative of underfoot conditions being nowhere near so testing). 

Orandi was gaining overdue reward after a succession of solid spins in top handicap company, and he is surely well-in here under a 5lb penalty. Tony Martin, his trainer, initially suggested Doncaster would not be on his agenda but the seven-year-old must have come out of his return in good shape because he’s had a rethink and snapped up the excellent Rossa Ryan into the bargain. 

A straight mile on softish ground clearly plays to the strengths of Orandi and, unlike the bulk of the opposition, we know he’s fit and very much in form. There’s certainly far less guesswork with him compared to the market leaders, none of whom have run for at least five months. 

The one unknown is whether he will be compromised by his draw, in stall 2, but Mr Professor (same gate last year) and Johan (drawn 4 in 2022) have spring surprises from low stalls in two of the past three years. 

They generally race down the middle of the track and Orandi is invariably held up for a late run, so we can leave that part of the equation to Ryan. Coral and Ladbrokes make Orandi  11-1 (five places), while Sky Bet go 9-1 and offer seven places if you want a bigger safety blanket.

The Lincoln consolation race, the Spring Mile, can be even more competitive because less exposed/improving horses tend to feature here. Ten of the past 13 renewals have been won by a four-year-old and I’d save yourselves some form study by putting a line through any runner aged 6 or more. 

Ryan has another decent ride in Pressure’s On, who caught the eye when runner-up on his return at Wolverhampton last month, but I’m drawn to Ballydoyle reject Ocean Of Dreams, who is completely unexposed on what will be his debut in handicap company and available at double-digit odds. 

He's bred to be smart, being a brother of Alluringly (third in Enable’s Oaks) and a half-brother to Toogood Tobetrue (rated 103 after only four races), and looked a potential Classic prospect when a wide margin winner of a Leopardstown maiden in the autumn of 2023. The also-rans that day include horses now rated in their 90s. 

Ocean Of Dreams was well-fancied for the Ballysax Stakes on his return last year but finished lame and we saw him just once afterwards, when a keeping-on fourth in a minor event at Gowran a couple of months later. 

The four-year-old has clearly had a problem or two and changed hands for just 32,000gns at the Sales in October but a rating of 90 may well underestimate him and he’s joined a trainer, Archie Watson, who can be guaranteed to squeeze the most out of him. The Lambourn handler wasted little time gelding him and is also popping on some cheekpieces, which he could have saved for another day. 

The William Hill Doncaster Mile could well develop into a duel between Liberty Lane and Botanical, both owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum. 

Liberty Lane, winner of the Cambridgeshire, carries the first colours of his owner and is favourite, but he disappointed when well-fancied for the Lincoln on his return at this meeting last year and that’s a niggle. 

By contrast, Botanical was superb first time out last season – when winning easily at the Dante meeting – and, bar one blip on fast ground at Royal Ascot, has done nothing but progress. 

He wound up last season by finishing runner-up in the John Smith’s Cup, off a rating of 107, before being touched off in a Listed contest at Goodwood. The five-year-old stays ten furlongs well but a mile on a softish surface should be no issue for him. 

Soprano, a stablemate of Botanical, is odds-on for the Virgin Bet Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes at Kempton and, if reproducing anything like her best form, is going to take plenty of beating. 

However, she can be very keen and did not shine on her only previous start on the all-weather (first time out last season at Chelmsford). She’s also not won the races she should have (three wins from 15 starts) and been beaten at single-figure odds on 11 occasions. 

Shuwari is next in the market, but she’s been on the sidelines for 533 days, while third favourite Crimson Advocate, winner of the Queen Mary in 2023, has never run beyond five furlongs. 

The door could be open for a surprise and

Rose Prick

, a close third in last year’s renewal, fits the bill. She was a 50-1 shot 12 months ago but her subsequent efforts showed that was no fluke. 

On ratings, the 14-1 chance is booked for fourth, at best, but, as outlined, you can pick holes in the market leaders, whereas she looks nailed on to give her running. 

Finally, make a note of

Mortens Leam

in the handicap chase at Stratford (4.15). 

This 13-year-old, owned and trained by Mike Hawker, retains plenty of enthusiasm and was always moving easily when winning at Fakenham last time. He’s in a slightly higher garde here (0-110) but is an excellent jumper for the level, reflected by his RaceiQ Jump Index score of 7.8 out of 10. 

Mortens Leam has gained plenty of lengths in the air in each of his past nine races, including twice at Stratford, and the drop in trip is not a big worry as he’s strong traveller.  

1.50 Doncaster: Ocean Of Dreams £1.75 each-way at a general 11-1 (five places) 

3.00 Doncaster: Botanical £3 win at 7-2 with bet365 and betfred 

3.15 Kempton: £2.50 each-way Rose Prick at 14-1 with bet365 (three places) 

3.35 Doncaster: Orandi £3 each-way at 11-1 with Coral and Ladbrokes (Sky Bet go 9-1 and offer seven places if you want a bigger safety blanket) 

4.15 Stratford: Mortens Leam £2.50 win