Haggas Praying for Rain Ahead of Heaven Knows' Lincoln Bid

March is a busy month for William Haggas, who intends to saddle two runners in Saturday's William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster, the feature race on the first day of the Flat turf season. But the New market trainer found time to get to Cheltenham last Friday as a guest of Harry Findlay, co-owner of Gold Cup winner Denman.

"I've trained the odd horse for Harry, and I love Cheltenham, though it comes at a bad time for us," said Haggas yesterday. "But I couldn't not go last week, now could I? It was a wonderful day, and I am all for nine races - I left after the seventh, got a clear run home and still had a full day's racing."

Haggas yesterday put the finishing touches to his Lincoln hopes, Very Wise and Heaven Knows, ahead of Saturday's Doncaster card which could contain eight races. Very Wise, last year's winner, is guaranteed to get a run but stablemate Heaven Knows needs one above him in the handicap to come out.

"Both horses are fit and well," says the trainer. "But I feel Very Wise has a bit to find off a mark of 100. Every horse I have trained to win a big handicap has needed a bit in hand. Very Wise won the Lincoln off 91 last year, then 94 at Newmarket, so it could be difficult for him."

Haggas, who also won the race with High Low in 1992, would like to see the forecast rain arrive in time for Heaven Knows. This half-brother to the top-class Coral-Eclipe Stakes winner Notnowcato was bought by Hamdan Al Maktoum at the end of his three-year-old career and big things were expected in 2007.

"I thought he was a champion," says the trainer. "He isn't. But I just don't feel we have got the best out of him. We gelded him during the winter and now he is looking sharper and much more with it. Ten furlongs might be his best trip, but I think Heaven Knows has the speed for a mile."

The Haggas horses are 14-1 with the sponsors for the Lincoln. Zaahid, the 6-1 favorite, is also owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum and will be ridden by Richard Hills, provided he makes the cut - he is six below Heaven Knows in the list. Martin Dwyer will partner Heaven Knows provided Zaahid gets a run, but Haggas will not re-route the gelding to Saturday's consolation Spring Mile, despite Hill's increasing the value of the race by £10,000 to £40,000. "If we don't get in, we will go for a 10-furlongs handicap at Pontefract on Tuesday," he said.

Hayley Turner, who was the top points scorer for Great Britain in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup last year, will captain the team at Ascot in August.

"Hayley rode brilliantly in the Shergar Cup both times she competed, failing by a whisker to win the last race in 2006 and then winning on the rank outsider in the first race last year," said Nick Smith, head of public relations at Ascot, yesterday.

"It's going to be amazing - how often do you get the chance to ride against the best?" enthused Turner. "I know how lucky I am to be captaining Great Britain this year and I can't wait. I just hope I can ride another winner."

Listen, the general ante-post favorite for the Juddmonte Oaks, was one of 22 entries in the race from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle stable revealed yesterday. A total of 91 fillies, 18 more than at this stage last year, feature for the fillies' Classic at Epsom on June 6.