The Spring Double

The Spring Double is a phrase given to a two-part bet that seeks to find the winners of both the Lincoln Handicap (held at Doncaster these days) and the Aintree Grand National Chase Handicap in April.

Doncaster’s Lincoln Meeting heralded the traditional start of the new Flat racing season which runs from late March/early April until November. The meeting’s status as the Flat season’s opener has been lessened somewhat by all-weather Flat racing which means racing takes place year-round.

In 2013, however, the notion of a ‘Spring’ double is looking laughable. At the time of writing a band of snow is forecast to be sitting across much of northern England on Friday and Saturday. On Thursday an inspection was called for Saturday morning at Doncaster and plans are already in place to reschedule Saturday’s card for a week later – Saturday 30 March 2013.

Arena Racing Company’s racing director Jim Allen explained: "Should Saturday's meeting be abandoned, which looks increasingly likely, we will host the meeting a week later on Easter Saturday, March 30”.

Kate Miller, PR director for William Hill, which sponsors several of the races on Doncaster’s card said: "It's very difficult to plan for the unthinkable and no one could have anticipated such inclement weather. The William Hill Lincoln and Spring Mile raise the curtain to the turf Flat Season and we're grateful that a contingency plan is in place to save them."

The William Hill Lincoln Handicap is run over the distance of one mile and is open to horses aged 4-years and older. In 2013 the winner will collect GB£ 62,250 in prize money.

The Lincoln Handicap is labelled a Heritage Handicap. Heritage Handicaps are usually (but not always) those races that have a long, established history in the racing calendar. The British Racing Authority (BHA) also stipulated that such races should offer a minimum of GB£ 75,000 in total prize money.

The Ebor (run over 1 mile 6 furlongs in August) at York is a Heritage Handicap, as is the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket (run over 1 mile 1 furlong) in late September.