William Haggas is hoping Eternal Force is ready to run a big race in Saturday’s William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster.
The four-year-old heads into the first big handicap of the campaign on a four-timer after ending 2025 in style, and the race has long been his early-season target.
“We’re always looking for an improving three-year-old to go to next year’s Lincoln,” the trainer told Sky Sports Racing.
"He was pretty ordinary winning his maiden I thought at Redcar in a very ordinary race. OK he won nicely but it wasn’t a shattering performance. Newbury, he did well to win then his last run at Haydock was much more impressive. That to me said he should have a crack at the Lincoln.
"But the handicapper didn’t miss him. He went up eight for that and time may tell if that was too much or too little. He’s done very well over the winter, he’s a nice-looking horse and nearly there in his coat. He’s been working nicely, he’s not an over-generous horse at home but he’s pretty fit so we’ll see."
Haggas won the race last season with Godwinson while his 2019 hero Addeybb went on to land four Group One races after his Town Moor triumph.
"He’s probably not an Addeybb because he was a pretty stylish horse and this one is a bit lazy at home, so we’ll see but he keeps finding this horse and that’s what I like about him. He’ll keep going, enjoy any cut in the ground and I’m hoping he’ll run a good race," the Newmarket handler added.
Eternal Force is drawn six and Haggas admits it's not where he'd have chosen to race from.
“The favourite (La Botte) is in 13 but he’ll be waiting I suppose, we’re six and all the good ones in the betting look to be high, but it is what it is and there’s nothing we can do. We’ll get on with it,” he said.
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