# Lincoln Handicap

The Lincoln Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) at Doncaster in late March or early April.
It is traditionally the feature event on the first Saturday of Britain's turf flat racing season. It usually takes place one or two weeks before the Grand National, and for betting purposes the two races form the Spring Double. The only jockey to have ever won both legs was Dave Dick in 1956.

## History

An event called the Lincolnshire Handicap was established at Lincoln in 1849. It was run over a distance of 2 miles in August.
The venue introduced the Lincoln Spring Handicap at a new fixture in March 1853. The first two runnings were over 1½ miles, and it was shortened to a mile in 1855. The summer race ended when the meeting was temporarily discontinued in the 1850s. The spring version was renamed the Lincolnshire Handicap in 1860.
The race continued to be held at Lincoln until 1964. It was transferred to Doncaster in 1965, following the closure of its former venue. From this point it was known as the Lincoln Handicap.
The bookmaker William Hill supported the Lincoln Handicap for several years prior to 1997. The company started a new period of sponsorship in 2006 which ran until 2014, and from 2015 to 2017 the race was sponsored by the bookmakers Betway. In 2018, it was sponsored by 32Red and since 2019 Unibet have sponsored the race.
The names of the winning horses from 1926 (King of Clubs) to 1937 (Marmaduke Jinks) are used in the Waddingtons board game Totopoly.

## Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):
* Ob – 1906, 1907
* Babur – 1957, 1958
Leading jockey (4 wins):
* Charlie Maidment – Indigestion (1868), Royal Rake (1870), Guy Dayrell (1872), Vestminster (1873)
Leading trainer (4 wins):
* Jack Robinson – Clorane (1896), Winkfield's Pride (1897), Prince Barcaldine (1898), Cinderello (1910)
* William Haggas - High Low (1992), Very Wise (2007), Penitent (2010), Addeybb (2018)

## Winners since 1965

* Weights given in stones and pounds.
* 1 2 The race was run at Redcar in 2006 and Newcastle in 2007, both due to the temporary closure of Doncaster Racecourse as part of its redevelopment.
* ↑ The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom

## Earlier winners

* 1853: Caurire
* 1854: Georgey
* 1855: Saucebox
* 1856: Flageolet
* 1857: Huntingdon
* 1858: Vandermulin
* 1859: Bel Esperanza
* 1860: Vigo
* 1861: Benbow
* 1862: Suburban
* 1863: Manrico
* 1864: Benjamin
* 1865: Gaily
* 1866: Treasure Trove
* 1867: Vandervelde
* 1868: Indigestion
* 1869: Sycee
* 1870: Royal Rake
* 1871: Vulcan
* 1872: Guy Dayrell
* 1873: Vestminster
* 1874: Tomahawk
* 1875: The Gunner
* 1876: Controversy
* 1877: Footstep
* 1878: Kaleidoscope
* 1879: Touchet
* 1880: Rosy Cross
* 1881: Buchanan
* 1882: Poulet
* 1883: Knight of Burghley
* 1884: Tonans
* 1885: Bendigo
* 1886: Fulmen
* 1887: Oberon
* 1888: Veracity
* 1889: Wise Man
* 1890: The Rejected
* 1891: Lord George
* 1892: Clarence
* 1893: Wolf's Crag
* 1894: Le Nicham
* 1895: Euclid
* 1896: Clorane
* 1897: Winkfield's Pride
* 1898: Prince Barcaldine
* 1899: General Peace
* 1900: Sir Geoffrey
* 1901: Little Eva
* 1902: St Maclou
* 1903: Over Norton
* 1904: Uninsured
* 1905: Sansovino
* 1906: Ob
* 1907: Ob
* 1908: Kaffir Chief
* 1909: Duke of Sparta
* 1910: Cinderello
* 1911: Mercutio
* 1912: Long Set
* 1913: Berrilldon
* 1914: Outram
* 1915: View Law
* 1916: Clap Gate *
* 1917–18: no race
* 1919: Royal Bucks
* 1920: Furious
* 1921: Soranus
* 1922: Granely
* 1923: White Bud
* 1924: Sir Gallahad
* 1925: Tapin
* 1926: King of Clubs
* 1927: Priory Park
* 1928: Dark Warrior
* 1929: Elton
* 1930: Leonidas
* 1931: Knight Error
* 1932: Jerome Fandor
* 1933: Dorigen
* 1934: Play On
* 1935: Flamenco
* 1936: Over Coat
* 1937: Marmaduke Jinks
* 1938: Phakos
* 1939: Squadron Castle
* 1940: Quartier-Maitre
* 1941: Gloaming
* 1942: Cuerdley **
* 1943: Lady Electra **
* 1944: Backbite **
* 1945: Double Harness**
* 1946: Langton Abbot
* 1947: Jockey Treble
* 1948: Commissar
* 1949: Fair Judgement
* 1950: Dramatic
* 1951: Barnes Park
* 1952: Phariza
* 1953: Sailing Light
* 1954: Nahar
* 1955: Military Court
* 1956: Three Star
* 1957: Babur
* 1958: Babur
* 1959: Marshal Pil
* 1960: Mustavon
* 1961: Johns Court
* 1962: Hill Royal
* 1963: Monawin
* 1964: Mighty Gurkha
* The 1916 running took place at Lingfield Park. ** The 1942 run as "Northern Lincoln", 1943, 1944 and 1945 (run as "Substitute Lincoln") editions were held at Pontefract.

### Broadcasters

Network TV
* BBC Television televised the race from 1959 to 1964 inclusive.
* ITV televised from 1965-1985 and 2017–present
* Channel 4 televised from 1986-2016
Pay TV
* The Racing Channel 1995-2002
* Racing UK showed it in 2005-2006
* At The Races/Sky Sports Racing 2003-2004 and 2007–present