Antepost Racing Tips: Balding can be the Lincoln king with 16/1 Doncaster fancy

As much fun as it is witnessing the nine-year-old Rain Cap in a Class 6 do battle with the 51-rated Piperstown, the time of flux has arrived with the official start of the Flat season. We welcome Doncaster and four races on ITV this Saturday - a treat for those who like fast horses.

The Kempton card is a terrific one too with the Queen's Prize, the Rosebery Handicap and Listed Snowdrop to look forward. Oh how I have missed you all...

6f Cammidge Trophy Stakes, Doncaster, Saturday March 28, 13:50 - Back Unique Journey EW @ 20/121.00

With rain forecast throughout the week I doubt we'll not see any "soft" in the description and last year's winner Spycatcher, a tremendous campaigner for Karl Burke will get his season up and running. At 3/14.00 he is the right favourite.

On the downside, he is eight years of age and I am leaning towards something younger with fitter legs too in the shape of 20/121.00 outsider Unique Journey.

He's been in some decent handicaps at the Curragh and enjoyed a good three-year-old campaign winning handicaps at Irish HQ from marks of 83 and 89 in October.

Crucially for a bet here, he is fit having returned to action two weeks ago at the Curragh and he's a horse who likes testing going.

He lost out to mud-loving Dmaniac last time out, a good second, but he did beat Dmaniac at the beginning of October. Here as one of the younger brigade, he gets a tiny piece of weight too from Annaf, Art Power and Spycatcher.

Spring Mile Handicap, Doncaster, Saturday March 28, 14:25 - Back Carron @ 8/19.00

Carron holds a Lincoln entry too, but Jack Callan, the excellent 5lb apprentice, is booked for this and at 8/19.00 looks likeliest to head for this race.

He couldn't quite cut it over in Meydan chasing the riches over the winter, but back on terra firma and in more comfortable surroundings he was a winner at Newcastle when last seen - taking a handicap three weeks ago over 1m.

Ridden by Billy Loughnane, he displayed some pluck and fight and when Flying Fletcher came to his tail, and while the pace wasn't overly searching with a finishing speed of 105%, he is worth a little more in my opinion as he also made his move from a wider position.

The booking of Callan is a big plus effectively negating the penalty.

William Hill Lincoln, Doncaster, Saturday March 28, 15:35 - Back The Lost King EW @ 16/117.00 

La Botte hasn't exactly been missed in the market here at 7/24.50 after his eyecatching run in the Lincoln Trial at Wolverhampton where Jamie Spencer had a clumsy grasp of where to be.

Spencer will have unfinished business, and with a horse who went close in the Britannia last summer from a mark of 99, a big run is on the cards. Even his trainer pumped up the volume this week by saying he's a Lockinge horse.

Group horse in a handicap saying anyone?

The one I am backing is Lost King for Andrew Balding, who won the Lincoln Trial, at a massive 16/117.00. That looks an insulting price if I am honest.

He also ran in the Britannia and was in the near side group with La Botte last summer, and having cut out the running, looked ill at ease in the final stages, which I suspect was the lightning fast going.

At the prices in comparison to La Botte and all the hoopla around him, I'd rather have a go at the 16s here each-way and is sure to be up with the pace. The gamble here is the potential to improve for some cut in the going and with four starts on turf, is unepxosed still.

Remember he was drawn poorly at Wolverhampton and still won, and Balding is 8-21 (winning percentage of 38%) at the moment.

Snowdrop Fillies' Stakes, Kempton, Saturday March 28, 15:15 - Back Pina Sonata @ 8/19.00

Another trainer ticking along at 38% as of Tuesday and the time of writing is James Fanshawe and his Pina Sonata looks an each-way contender in the Listed Snowdrop Fillies Stakes.

She wasn't over-raced in anyway last term with four starts and Fanshawe deemed her worthy of taking a chance in Group 1 in France, a race she came well short in. Her run in September in heavy at Sandown afterwards can be excused too with the going awful.

Pina Sonata landed her maiden at Wolverhampton last spring and amply demonstrated her capabilities on just her second start with a stylish win. She travelled all over the second and the pair were 11L clear of the third and her time was around one-and-a-half seconds quicker than the previous Class 5 Handicap.

She travelled really powerfully that day and her sire Pinatubo has a 40% placed record from 15 runners over 1m at Kempton (with just one win).

At 8/19.00 and back on the All-Weather, Pina Sonata is the play.

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