Our columnist remembers Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum and previews the action at Doncaster as the Flat season kicks off

“TO move with the times is, of course, to go where all times go.” CS Lewis. 

The Flat is upon us, and one of the historically great handicaps kicks off the turf fun with the Lincoln Heritage Handicap at Doncaster. 

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Chappers looks ahead to the start of the Flat season[/caption]

I’ll be there for ITV and I can’t wait, as I think I have found a horse in the race with a cracking eachway chance! 

However, the Lincoln is a very different race to the one it once was. 

In 1989, Fact Finder landed the big prize in the hands of Tyrone Williams under 7st 9lb. The following year Alan Munro and Evichstar shouldered jut 7st 12lb. 

Today there is just 9lb between top (9st 10lb) and bottom weight (9st 1lb). It’s almost a conditions race, and at the very least a limited handicap. 

As CS Lewis cleverly wrote, it’s just moving with the times as handicaps with a range of weights are very much a thing of the past. But did that old puzzle excite punters more?

Was the Lincoln and its ante-post gambles a bigger event twenty or thirty years ago? I suspect it was, while others no doubt couldn’t possibly comment. 

Don’t get me wrong. I still can’t wait for today’s Lincoln, and the quality is better than ever. Many will believe that’s the important point. I’m just not quit so sure. 

A field of 22 is set to go to post for the annual cavalry charge, which was taken by Addeybb in 2018. He’s now a Group 1 winner and will have run in Australia in the early hours of Saturday morning. 

At the top of today’s market, Eastern World and Haqeeqy might both be Group performers in the making. 

The former, trained by Charlie Appleby, bolted up in Dubai last time and will be fit and ready to go under James Doyle. The excellent pilot was, of course, the man on top of Addeybb at Doncaster. 

When last in the UK Haqeeqy had Eastern World miles behind at this track, but the general gist has to be the latter did not run his race. 

But the one I’m going to be backing each-way is King Ottokar. 

The five-year-old is trained by Charlie Fellowes, who should be a Melbourne Cup winning-trainer with Prince Of Arran desperately unlucky at Flemington in November. 

King Ottokar has been rated as high as 106, but goes here off 99 after just 11 starts. He finished a fine third in the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot over 1m2f, and he was unlucky not to be closer when sixth in the Balmoral over today’s trip in October. A slow start stuffed him that day. 

Ben Curtis takes the ride on my mount and I’m absolutely happy with that. So all in all I expect a bold show. Drawn four is my only reason to have a ‘fingers crossed’ moment as I just have to pray those drawn low have every chance. 

Hamdan al Maktoum’s famous blue and white silks feature in the Lincoln with Danyah, and in the week that the mega owner-breeders sadly passed away Owen Burrows will hope for a huge effort. 

Whether Danyah wins or not, the silks have every chance of scoring on ITV, with Montatham having a huge chance in the Doncaster Mile and Al Zaraqaan is definitely a fancy of mine in the Ladbrokes Rosebery Handicap at Kempton. Faylaq has a squeak in the Magnolia Stakes at the same track. 

Those runners are a timely reminder of Hamdan and his Shadwell Stud’s influence on the Sport of Kings. 

Everyone will have their favourite Hamdan runner, with Nashwan and Dayjur topping the list for most. 

But in my conversations with the most of loyal of men, I always got the idea he treasured Salsabil as his wonder horse, a filly who landed the Irish Derby against the colts. 

All over the world, Hamdan al Maktoum enabled trainers, jockeys and racing fans to enjoy and benefit from some of fabulous horses. He even owned Istabraq, who later won three Champion Hurdles for JP McManus. 

Just like we did with Prince Khalid Abdullah, we should just all say thank you, Sir. Thank you for loving the horse. 

Two weeks today’s it the Grand National. The race that never was in 2020. The most watched horse race in the world. 

For those of you who have been locked down at home for so long it’s another sign normality of some sort is around the corner. Today, though, the Flat is back.   

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