Horse Power: Lattam can win the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster

LATTAM can win the William Hill Lincoln (Heritage Handicap) (3.35pm) as the Flat racing season starts at Doncaster on Saturday afternoon.

Julie Camacho’s new recruit – who won the Irish Lincolnshire handicap 12 months ago – can also land the traditional curtain-raiser to the Flat season on Town Moor this year. The five-year-old, who was trained by Willie Haggas up until the start of the year, has run some fine races in big mile handicaps – nonemoreso than taking the Irish equivalent of the Lincoln at the Curragh last year, just holding on by a short-head.

He was second in the Spring Cup Handicap at Newbury the following month, won at Newcastle last June and although he was 15th at Glorious Goodwood when sent off favourite, he is generally consistent when he gets his ideal conditions – a strong-run mile on soft or testing ground. That is what he will get here on his debut for the Camacho stable, who will have earmarked this prestigious contest as the perfect starting point.

He was probably in the grip of the handicapper and feeling the effects of a long season when seventh in the Balmoral Handicap on British Champions Day at Ascot on his most recent start in October. He runs here off a mark of 93, one less than his all-weather win at Newcastle but six higher than his Irish Lincolnshire success. Following a break, it is a reasonable mark for him to continue to make progress. He has won on his first start in the last two seasons at Haydock Park on his debut and in Ireland last year, so he should be ready to do himself justice again. Lattam can strike ahead of chiefly Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane, the Jack Channon-trained Majestic and last year’s runner-up Awaal, from the Simon and Ed Crisford stable.

The Lincoln Handicap in