REDCAR'S offer to provide a temporary home for the William Hill Lincoln while Doncaster is closed has been handsomely rewarded with the best day's action ever seen at the seaside track.

Equine stars turn out from every corner of the country, but as far as this column is concerned it's to be hoped the local team repel all raiders and keep the cash in our region.

Top of the bill is the £100,000 Lincoln Handicap, for which a field of 30 is due to hammer up the straight mile on a rain-softened surface sure to play a significant part in the final outcome.

Finding the winner is real needle-in-a-haystack stuff, however under the prevailing conditions the confident selection, albeit on an each-way basis, is the gutsy mud-lover My Paris (3.15).

Kevin Ryan's five-year-old matches his film-star good looks with a ton of talent, helping connections to net nearly £57,000 in prize money during a profitable 2005 campaign.

Sadly there's no gain without pain and as a result of two wins at Newmarket and Doncaster, plus finishing third in the Cambridgeshire, he's shifted an alarming 13lbs up the ratings.

That's the end of the bad news because an inherent ability to handle testing ground may prove crucial against a bunch of rivals many of whom would prefer it far quicker.

There's also the effect of the draw, which the anoraks in the stats' department say is minimal, nevertheless the fact My Paris is housed in stall three, two ticks from the far rail, can only be good.

Having the fence to run alongside, rather than wandering around no-man's land up the centre, is an advantage Andrew Mullen, the brilliant young 5lb claiming jockey riding My Paris, will not squander.

Others to consider in a wide-open affair are Kamanda Laugh, currently better fancied at 14s compared with My Paris (22-1) in the ante-post betting market, together with Newmarket's King's Majesty and Cesare.

King's Majesty (6-1) represents last year's winning trainer jockey combo of Sir Michael Stoute and Robert Winston, while Cesare (5-1) attempts to give James Fanshawe an inaugural success in this high-profile contest.

The value in backing either of those two has long gone and in search of more lucrative odds I'd be inclined to support Nero's Return (40-1) as a possible long shot.

"He's been working well," reports Mark Johnston, who, like Fanshawe, is seeking his first win in the showpiece.

Johnston is also happy with his other entry, Royal Island, although perhaps his leading chance on the card is the unbeaten Lucky Lark (4.25) in the March Handicap.

Lucky Lark, a superbly-bred son of USA sire Key Of Luck, made a smashing debut when scoring on his sole outing at Wolverhampton, a power-packed performance hinting at a touch of class.

Thirty-five minutes after the Lincoln, the Cammidge Trophy is an absolute peach of a sprint featuring Quito (3.50), former Ayr Gold Cup winner and one of the most popular older horses in training.

The vast majority of Flat thoroughbreds are well past their sell-by date at nine-years-old but not Quito, who returned from his winter break with an excellent second placing.

David Chapman's speedster has his old sparring partner Tony Culhane aboard, the combination likely to come late and fast on the scene in their bid to land the £30,000 dash.

From a betting point of view there's nothing like a winning start and punters could do worse than side with Barethea Dreams (2.10), bidding to take the William Hill Spring Mile for the second year in succession.

Stan Moore's gelding is only 6lbs higher than when pulling off a shock 18-1 victory in the race 12 months ago, arguably not enough to stop him making the most of what appears a relatively lenient rating.

The booking of Darryll Holland confirms Moore means business, as the jockey is extra hungry having, by his own heady standards, endured a very poor 2005.

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