Ante-post favourite Penitent is among a maximum field of 22 for the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday. The four-year-old, the mount of Johnny Murtagh, will bid to give William Haggas a third success in the valuable handicap on the opening day of the turf Flat season. However, second favourite Manassas has been taken out and will not attempt to follow up his victory in last year's Spring Mile.
The Chris Dwyer-trained Mia's Boy, fourth 12 months ago, heads the weights on 9st 10lb. Leading Yorkshire trainer Richard Fahey has five runners - Extraterrestrial, Albaqaa, Harrison George, Mister Hardy and Prime Exhibit - as he tries to win the Lincoln for the first time.
Smokey Oakey, who won the race two years ago, is also engaged.
The first horse out of the draw, made in the At The Races studio in London, was Collateral Damage in stall 16. Penitent is on the far side in stall one, while other fancied horses with single figure draws include Extraterrestrial (3), Prime Exhibit (5) and Mia's Boy (6).
On the opposite side of the track in stall 22 is Doctor Crane, trained by John Gosden, who sent out Expresso Star to win last March.
Michael Dods is happy with the middle draw for Tiger Reigns after the four-year-old was handed stall 13 in a maximum field of 22 for the prestigious handicap. However, Dods fears his charge may not be as razor sharp as some of the opposition trained in the south because of the harsh winter.
"He's probably not as forward as some of the southern horses as the weather's been cold up here," said the Darlington trainer.
"He's a horse that will be better in about three or four weeks time, but he's in good form and he'll enjoy the ground. He's well but he'll improve for warmer weather. He's fit enough. He's drawn 13 which is not the worst place to be, Phillip (Makin) can choose where he wants to go."
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