Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
2026 Lincoln Trial Preview
Scheduled to take place in March of each year at the Wolverhampton Racecourse is the Lincoln Trial, a race that serves as a trial for the Lincoln Handicap run at Doncaster later in the month.
This class two handicap race is run on the all-weather track at Wolves over a distance of one mile and half a furlong (1m143y). It is open to runners four or older and rated up to 105. The purse is £50,000.
Lincoln Trial Information:
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Wolverhampton tips on the day of the race, do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist or are they predicting other runners?
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Lincoln Trial market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2011 when the race had an over-round of 114%. The race in 2007 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 129%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Lincoln Trial, the over-round has been 120%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £120 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2026 Lincoln Trial Trends, see which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal, we also have a section that looks at the Lincoln Trial Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Lincoln Trial over the last 20 renewals:
- Notre Belle Bete (1:46.19) in 2022
- Keystroke (1:46.31) in 2016
- Alrehb (1:46.41) in 2023
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? From the past 20 if you had followed the winner of the Lincoln Trial next time out then you would have backed a total of 0 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since to win at SP next time out, would have returned an LSP of -18.00. Whilst we wait for the 2026 Lincoln Trial remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 1:46.19 was set by Notre Belle Bete in 2022, which is the quickest time over that period, the runner was trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by David Probert. The slowest winning time was set in 2008 when Re Barolo won in a time of 1:50.10, booked to ride was Seb Sanders by the trainer Marco Botti.
Lincoln Trial Past Winners
Here are the Lincoln Trial past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won along with the age & weight of the horse. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Lincoln Trial are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 1:46.64 | Symbol Of Light (GB) 6yo 9-11 (10 of 12) 7/1 | Jason Watson Julie Camacho (GB) |
| 2024 1:47.93 | Kingdom Come (IRE) 5yo 9-8 (8 of 11) 11/4F | Rossa Ryan Clive Cox (GB) |
| 2023 1:46.41 | Alrehb (USA) 6yo 9-3 (4 of 13) 5/1 | Daniel Muscutt Kevin Philippart De Foy (GB) |
| 2022 1:46.19 | Notre Belle Bete (GB) 4yo 8-7 (11 of 12) 5/1 | David Probert Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2021 1:48.26 | Born To Be Alive (IRE) 7yo 9-8 (10 of 13) 11/2 | Clifford Lee K R Burke (GB) |
| 2020 1:47.49 | Assimilation (IRE) 4yo 8-8 (6 of 12) 12/1 | Luke Morris Ed Walker (GB) |
| 2019 1:47.31 | Zwayyan (GB) 6yo 9-2 (4 of 13) 7/1 | David Probert Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2018 1:47.95 | Big Country (IRE) 5yo 9-9 (10 of 11) 8/1 | Luke Morris Michael Appleby (GB) |
| 2017 1:47.89 | Nimr (GB) 4yo 8-13 (8 of 13) 3/1F | Tony Hamilton Richard Fahey (GB) |
| 2016 1:46.31 | Keystroke (GB) 4yo 8-12 (2 of 12) 4/1F | Jim Crowley Jeremy Noseda (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Lincoln Trial have been based:
- GB: 20 winners with an additional 39 placings from 240 runners
- IRE: 0 winners with an additional 1 placing from 3 runners
Lincoln Trial Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Lincoln Trial over the last 20 renewals is Andrew Balding who has won the race two times with those two winners coming from Zwayyan (2019) and Notre Belle Bete (2022). There is one trainer who has not had the best of times in the Lincoln Trial, Stuart Williams has sent a total of 12 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Lincoln Trial trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Balding | 6-2-3 | +8.00 | +4.43 |
| Richard Fahey | 15-1-5 | -11.00 | -5.47 |
| David Simcock | 12-1-3 | -5.50 | -1.74 |
| Michael Appleby | 10-1-4 | -1.00 | +0.25 |
| Marco Botti | 8-1-6 | +1.00 | +3.04 |
| David Barron | 7-1-2 | -3.75 | -3.40 |
| K R Burke | 5-1-1 | +1.50 | -0.56 |
| Ed Walker | 4-1-1 | +9.00 | +4.50 |
| Nick Littmoden | 3-1-1 | +10.00 | +5.50 |
| Clive Cox | 3-1-2 | +0.75 | +0.96 |
Lincoln Trial Jockey Statistics
There are multiple leading jockeys in the Lincoln Trial over the last 20 renewals with David Probert, Luke Morris and Jim Crowley having all won the race two times. David Probert winners have been with Zwayyan (2019) and Notre Belle Bete (2022). Luke Morris winners have been with Big Country (2018) and Assimilation (2020). Jim Crowley winners have been with Whispering Warrior (2014) and Keystroke (2016). There is one jockey who has not had the best of times in the Lincoln Trial, Joe Fanning has ridden 12 runners to the race without recording any wins.
Here are some of the top Lincoln Trial jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Probert | 7-2-2 | +7.00 | +2.51 |
| Luke Morris | 5-2-3 | +17.00 | +12.55 |
| Jim Crowley | 2-2-2 | +9.50 | +5.94 |
| Jamie Spencer | 6-1-2 | -2.75 | -2.40 |
| Tony Hamilton | 4-1-2 | +0.00 | +0.58 |
| Jason Watson | 2-1-2 | +6.00 | +4.82 |
| Clifford Lee | 2-1-1 | +4.50 | +2.44 |
| Daniel Muscutt | 2-1-1 | +4.00 | +2.13 |
| Robert Tart | 2-1-1 | +3.00 | +1.50 |
| Rossa Ryan | 2-1-2 | +1.75 | +1.96 |
2026 Lincoln Trial Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 8, PU, 2, 1, 2, 3, 5, 2, 5, 1, 1, 1, 5, (9, 11, 12), 4, 13, 11, 2, 1, 4
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (63%) - No bigger than 14/1
- 20 / 20 (69%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Fewer than 5 races (Course)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Fewer than 7 wins (Hcps)
- 20 / 20 (85%) - In a field of 6 - 14 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Held an OR of 90+ (Career)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Not in a Cl3/Cl6 (Debut)
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Fewer than 7 placings (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Ran in 1 - 10 races (180 Days)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Highest Run is not G1/Cl3-4
- 20 / 20 (88%) - Fewer than 4 wins (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Off a break of 6 - 175 days
- 19 / 20 (58%) - No bigger than 18/1 (Career Place)
- 19 / 20 (81%) - No bigger than 18/1 (Career Win)
- 18 / 20 (74%) - No older than a 6yo
Remember to use the trends listed above along with the Wolverhampton racing predictions to see if you can find the winner of the Lincoln Trial. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, It is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Lincoln Trial by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Lincoln Trial Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor which had produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +12.75 is when runners had 1 win in the past 90 days.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had a biggest odds run of 66/1, when backing these the trend shows a record of 0-35.
Here are the most recent winning draws along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2025: Winner in 10 (3,6) [12 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 8 (11,5) [11 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 4 (8,10) [13 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 11 (1,9) [12 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 10 (8,13) [13 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Lincoln Trial is Lingfield (AW), there has been a total number of 9 winners of this race who ran at Lingfield (AW) last time out.
The race is open to both sexes with the Male runners having produced a total of 20 winners from a total of 238 runners whilst the Female runners have produced 0 winners from a total of 5 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Lincoln Trial:
- Cape Cross (2 Wins)
- Pivotal (2 Wins)
- Shamardal (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the Lincoln Trial despite multiple attempts:
- Dark Angel (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Medicean (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Danehill Dancer (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Exceed And Excel (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Nazreef in 2012, winning for Hughie Morrison at odds of 14/1 under the guidance of Robert Winston. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals there have been 5 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters. If you are interested in other races at the Wolverhampton racecourse, then why not read our blog for the Lady Wulfruna Stakes?
Route to the Lincoln Trial
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Lincoln Trial, these are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2025 - Symbol Of Light Southwell (AW) - 1st of 12 (6/1) | Win £1M With BetMGMs Golden Goals Handicap |
| 2024 - Kingdom Come Lingfield (AW) - 3rd of 8 (5/2) | BetMGM AWC Mile Trial Handicap |
| 2023 - Alrehb Southwell (AW) - 1st of 11 (4/1) | Spreadex Sports Best Premier League Odds Handicap |
| 2022 - Notre Belle Bete Lingfield (AW) - 1st of 6 (1/10) | MansionBet Proud Partners Of The AWC Novice Stakes |
| 2021 - Born To Be Alive Kempton (AW) - 1st of 10 (18/1) | Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Handicap |
| 2020 - Assimilation Meydan - 8th of 12 (25/1) | Curlin Stakes Sponsored By Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City-District One |
| 2019 - Zwayyan Ascot - 16th of 20 (14/1) | Balmoral Handicap |
| 2018 - Big Country York - 5th of 12 (4/1) | Coral Handicap Stakes |
| 2017 - Nimr Wolverhampton (AW) - 1st of 9 (3/1) | Sun Bets On The App Store Handicap |
| 2016 - Keystroke Newmarket (Rowley) - 9th of 10 (2/1) | Son of Sid Fine Ale Furlong Handicap |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Lincoln Trial Preview are at hand, Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for Flat Racing.
James Banting
Tipster Competition Assistant
Andy Powell
Content Editor
