Edward Greatrex secured his biggest win for 11 years and aided Jack Channon’s big double on the opening day of the Flat turf season as Urban Lion prevailed in the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster.

Channon had already been victorious in the Spring Mile with Mezcala when making the perfect start to the term on Town Moor.

In the Lincoln, Botanical took them along at the front as the field congregated in the centre of the course in what was a steadily-run race in the early stages.

Urban Lion and Rogue Diplomat came out of the pack as the line approached and a photo finish showed Greatrex had just got his 9/1 shot up on the line by a nose.

Greatrex had won the Balmoral Handicap on Saeed bin Suroor’s Musaddas as a 5lb claimer in 2015.

“We’ve joked about it all winter, saying we’ve got two horses that we’re prepping for both divisions,” said Channon.

“He’s been training beautifully all spring and I did think we were beat but thankfully it went our way.

“I think the second probably headed him. Eddie said he had to commit him a bit earlier than he wanted because everything had stopped in front and he battled back again.

“He’s a good horse and we knew there was one of these big races in him. I thought we were beat but Eddie got his head down on the line.

“He’s not going to go up massively in the handicap for that, he’ll be running in those big handicaps and we’ll try to get some black type for him as well.

“Those big, straight miles are what he wants. This has been the plan all winter but I was a bit worried about the ground coming here, worried about it being too soft as he’s a good moving horse but he handled that.

“I keep saying that if we keep doing things right the big results will come and they are, we’ve got a lovely team of horses to go to war with this season.”

Docklands breezes to Doncaster Mile win

Docklands justified odds-on favouritism as he ran out a comfortable winner of the William Hill Doncaster Mile Stakes.

Volterra laid down the pace early on and he set an even gallop as Jamie Spencer on the 8/11 favourite stalked at the rear.

With a Group One win last season at Royal Ascot under his belt Docklands looked the class act and so it proved.

Once Spencer asked, Harry Eustace’s stable star asserted himself and showed his usual willing attitude to come home one-and-a-half lengths clear.

“I’m delighted, but I can’t really say I enjoyed watching a lot of that!” said Eustace.

“When you drop a horse like that in a Listed race without a penalty, then on form figures the assumption is that he wins well.

“He did win it well, his consistency is really something that is just a credit to him every time.

“We’re here today with a lot of better horses because of him, he’s been such a star.

“He’s the flagbearer of our early years and he’s only six, so we’ve got this year with him at least but he’ll be a hard horse to replace.

“He’ll now go to Hong Kong at the end of April, he ran very well there last year. He’ll go to Ascot and then we’ll have to come up with a plan when we see how he is after that.”

Aramram takes step out of handicaps to land Cammidge

Aramram ensured Richard Hannon started the new season with a bang as he got up to win the William Hill Price Boosts Every Day Cammidge Trophy Stakes.

Tim Easterby’s seasoned sprinter Art Power got a jump on the field out of the stalls and set the early pace, but it was Clive Cox’s Jasour who was the first to lay down the challenge as they entered the final furlong.

Sean Leavy had timed his challenge on the 12/1 shot Aramram to perfection, however, and came home a length clear from Jasour with Caburn in third.

“Sean just adores this horse because of his attitude, he’s ultra consistent and very talented,” said Hannon, who was returning immediately to the winner’s enclosure having already landed the Brocklesby.

“His commitment is faultless. Sean made me run him, really, I wanted to go down the handicap route.

“He’s improved from last year, that much is very clear, and I’m delighted for everyone at home.”

When asked if Aramram will be pencilled in for a top-level sprint campaign, Hannon added: “Absolutely. If there’s a race on a day in the week with a ‘y’ in it, he’ll be entered!”

Hannon maintains Brocklesby grip with A Bear Affair

Hannon may not quite have the Brocklesby record of Bill Turner but he is one closer thanks to A Bear Affair’s effort in the race which this year was run in memory of the late trainer.

The William Hill Bill Turner Memorial EBF Brocklesby Stakes paid homage to a man who landed the contest six times and was renowned for turning up on Town Moor on the opening day of the Flat turf season with a particularly speedy two-year-old.

Hannon had two successes to his name prior to saddling A Bear Affair, who impressed in winning by three-quarters of a length from Ralph Beckett’s Dance A Jig at 9/2 under Levey.

“Bill was a great man and a great trainer, we’ve not quite reached his six Brocklesby wins yet,” said Hannon.

“This horse has always been very likeable with a really good attitude and he could be every bit as good as some of the horses we’ve won this with.

“When you win this race there aren’t many places to go until the Woodcote (at Epsom) and he’s an ideal horse with his attitude, as a trainer you need more of these horses – you can really tell he’s going to be your mate.

“There’ll be more to come physically from him, he’s not really there in his coat, but mentally I want him to stay exactly as he is.

“He’ll improve a lot from this, if all of them had attitudes like his then my god, it would be easy! He’s extremely straightforward and he’s done us proud today.”

Mezcala initiates Channon double

Last year’s Lincoln-winning silks were seen crossing the line in front again as Jon and Julia Aisbitt’s Mezcala was delivered to win the William Hill Epic Boosts Spring Mile Handicap as the 11/2 joint-favourite.

The four-year-old ran encouragingly several times over a mile last season, and returned to action clearly in good spirits under young rider George Bass to prevail by two-and-a-half lengths.

“These big mile straight handicaps are hard and we didn’t quite know where we were,” said Channon after completing the first leg of his big double.

“He’s had to come all the way over from [stall] three but his work has been very smart and I thought he’d improve way past his handicap mark.

“He’s done it very well but there’s a long way to go, he’s won off 85 today and he’s done it the right way round as he’s very lightly raced.

“We could look at something like the Spring Cup for him but we won’t be rushing him.”

Karl Burke was in the money in the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Stakes as High Storm got off the mark under Sam James.

The Nathaniel three-year-old was gelded after two juvenile runs and showed he had improved for the procedure when the runner-up of a Southwell novice last month.

He took a step forward again when triumphing in the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Stakes as a 15/2 shot, defeating Charlie Appleby’s Sailor Song by a length and a half.