ON a truly memorable weekend worldwide for Godolphin, the lightly-raced Auxerre did his bit by making every yard to win Saturday’s Unibet Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster. With James Doyle opting to come up the centre of the track, the four-year-old son of Iffraaj was always in control and passed the post just over two lengths ahead of Kynren, with Breden and Berenger dead-heating for third.

With highly prestigious successes in Australia and Dubai, Godolphin have made a tremendous start to 2019 and Auxerre, with four wins from five starts, is likely to make an impression in classier company. He was very well supported down to 5/2 favourite, the shortest-priced Lincoln winner in living memory, and his backers never had a moment’s worry. For Doyle it was a repeat victory, following on from his win in the race aboard William Haggas’ Addeybb 12 months ago.

“I didn’t want to get sucked into either side,” the jockey said. “In the early races the middle seemed the place to be so I did it myself. We knew he’d get the trip standing on his head and I don’t think we’ll be seeing him in a handicap again after this. Charlie Appleby will decide what to do but I should think the Group 2 at Sandown (the Sandown Mile), which Addeybb won last year, would be an option. He handles cut in the ground so that’s not an issue.”

Many punters and pundits have been waiting for Kynren to produce a big performance and he again ran well without winning. As trainer David Barron observed, he ‘beat all bar the group horse’ and will probably be rested with the Victoria Cup at Ascot a likely target.

Doyle was also on Brian Meehan’s Petrus when the horse won as a juvenile. Unsuccessful since, the 7/1 chance landed the Unibet Spring Mile, the Lincoln ‘consolation’ race, by half a length from Exec Chef, giving jockey Tom Marquand a 21st birthday present. Marquand rode over 100 winners last term and added 20 more during a recent stint in Australia.