Alex Hammond is siding with a promising four-year-old in Saturday's Lincoln at Doncaster where she also has her eye on an old favourite in the day's big sprint.
What was your favourite moment of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival and is there one jumper you’d be looking to follow at Aintree, Punchestown or elsewhere in the coming weeks?
My favourite moment was all four of my selections winning! I’m not one to revel in those types of things but it’s such a rare event at a Festival like Cheltenham that there was a level of satisfaction in that. I’d been asked to come up with four selections on Sky Sports Racing the Sunday before, so they were there for all to see. They comprised of Old Park Star, Lossiemouth, Wodhooh and Supremely West. I think Lossiemouth’s win gave me the most satisfaction because I’d been keen for some time and felt she had been underestimated to a degree.
As for a horse to follow, I’ll be with The Jukebox Kid in the Irish National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday. Ben Pauling is enjoying his most successful season to date, and this horse could be well handicapped. He comes here off the back of a win in a small field Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot, so this will be a different pool he’s swimming in, but he’s an exciting young staying chaser.
Eyes turn to the Flat in Britain this weekend – who is top of the Lincoln shortlist currently?
It’s hard to look away from anything William Haggas sends to the race owing to his record of five wins in the famous handicap, so Eternal Force is on my shortlist. He has a progressive profile and won his last three starts in the autumn. Another that fits a similar profile is La Botte for Harry Eustace. It won’t be easy off joint top weight, but he has the makings of a smart performer and is the type to continue improving. He was a close second in the Britannia at Royal Ascot last summer, a race his trainer won with subsequent group 1 winner Docklands a few years ago, so he’s at the top of my list.
Who else takes your fancy on the Doncaster card at this stage?
Well, probably Docklands, who is heading to the Doncaster Mile instead of a race at Meydan on the same day. This will be a stepping stone to bigger and better things, but this Listed race looks a good starting point for his season. The Queen Anne is likely to be on his agenda once again.
I’m also a sucker for following Montassib and he could line up in the Cammidge Trophy, a race he won two years ago. He tends to prefer some ease in the ground, so I hope conditions on Town Moor are soft enough for him.
Can you nominate a colt and a filly that you think hold Classic potential this spring?
At a decent price Raaheeb is one to watch for the Derby. He’s trained by Owen Burrows, who is considered a boutique trainer, but his numbers are up for this season, and he is a talented trainer. The horse won an Ascot maiden in September but there’s more to him than the scant form he has on his CV. He’s a full brother to the brilliant Baeed and smart Hukum and he’s sure to improve this year, and most likely next.
So, that’s a colt to follow. For the filly division, I like Diamond Necklace, who signed off her season by winning the Prix Marcel Boussac. She’ll likely face different conditions come Classic time than she did at ParisLongchamp in October but she’s beautifully bred and will be in all the top races.
Maybe like her sire St Mark’s Basilica she will go down the French Classic route though. Tom Marquand did a good impression of having the heart eyes emoji after My Ophelia won on debut at Newbury back in October. She’s from a world-class family and is another that could hit the Group 1 heights in her Classic season.
Published at 0:815 GMT on 25/03/26
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