Saturday ante-post tips: 25-1 chance makes appeal in Lincoln

The feature race on Saturday, the William Hill Lincoln Handicap, looks almost certain to see a maximum field of 22 runners, and the horse with the most obvious chance is favourite La Botte, who went into plenty of notebooks after an eye-catching run at Wolverhampton this month on his first start since Royal Ascot.

Although he could be a Group horse in a handicap, he is now as short as 7-2 for a race which has thrown up seven winners at double-figure odds since 2014, including four in excess of 20-1.

The one that I think may represent better value is the Jack Channon-trained URBAN LION, who is widely available at 25-1. The yard won this a few years ago with an outsider off a similar sort of mark making his first start of the season and this son of Zoustar definitely has a chance of following suit.

The talented five-year-old has some really good handicap form in the book, but seems to have been written off after two below par runs at the end of last season where he had legitimate excuses.

Fifth in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot, beaten under two lengths by the handicap blot My Cloud, despite being short of room at a crucial stage, he then finished a very close third in the Shergar Cup Mile at the same track. That was a strong contest, with the two horses who finished half a length ahead of him now rated 103 and 105.

He made the running that day and, although that race was steadily run, he did well to rally after being headed, shaping as if a stronger test of stamina would see him to better effect.

His final two runs of the year came when he was drawn widest of all in York‘s Clipper Handicap – he again did well to be beaten little over five lengths, and he signed off with a ninth-placed finish in the Cambridgeshire, finishing fourth in his group – an effort for which he has been dropped 1lb by the handicapper.

He also goes very well fresh. He won on his seasonal reappearance last year, and from his four runs off a break of at least 50 days, he has won three and was only beaten half a length in the other.

This is likely to have been his target for some time and can outrun his odds for a stable that often does well at this meeting.

Before that, the Listed Doncaster Mile takes place, and the current 9-4 available about favourite DOCKLANDS looks more than fair. He has the potential to shorten up considerably over the next few days.

Rated 118, he is clear on ratings and looks the most talented horse in the line up. His win in the Queen Anne Stakes over Rosallion last season is the best piece of form on offer and, although the re-opposing Qirat beat him at Glorious Goodwood, Ralph Beckett's charge is unlikely to be allowed to dictate in the same way here and this stiffer, more galloping track should play to Dockland's strengths.

His final two runs in Europe last year saw him finish a close-up fourth in both the Prix Jacques Le Marois and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and he filled the same position in the Hong Kong Mile behind Voyage Bubble in December.

He ran a fine race on his reappearance last season too, and if he is ready to again on his seasonal debut, he should take all the beating under Jamie Spencer.

2.57 Doncaster: DOCKLANDS at 9-4 with Ladbrokes/Coral.

3.32 Doncaster: URBAN LION at a general 25-1 each-way.