YUFTEN is an utterly worthy favourite for the Betway Lincoln as the Flat turf season returns at Doncaster.

The son of Invincible Spirit is a good horse, but he is already a chiselled operator in rough-and-tumble races like this.

Note his performance at Ascot last autumn for further details as he gamely accounted for 18 other rivals to win the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day.

It is interesting Roger Charlton and Yuften’s owners, Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, have had the Lincoln in mind all winter, during which time he was gelded.

Be that as it may, a deviation from the gameplan might have been necessary had he won on his return at Wolverhampton on March 11.

The Beckhampton inmate finished a close third in the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes, but victory would have made him eligible to run on All-Weather Finals Day at Lingfield on Good Friday.

That obvious allure would have been difficult to resist, but it does mean Yuften runs in the Lincoln without a penalty for winning at Wolverhampton.

And though he races at Doncaster on a higher mark than at Ascot, he looks strong enough and progressive enough to manfully overcome that burden.

The ground will also be fine for him, with the reappointment of Doncaster shrewdie Andrea Atzeni hardly off-putting.

This season’s renewal of the Betway Doncaster Mile looks strong, but there could be some mileage in going back to basics by supporting good old Tullius.

Andrew Balding’s nine-year-old does not fall into the ‘unexposed’ category, of course, but he often goes well as a fresh horse and won this Listed race two years ago.

Birchwood’s form at his best is not a great deal shy of being top class.

With that very much in mind, he is fancied to make a winning comeback in the Betway Cammidge Trophy, which hardly looks an insurmountable ordeal for a horse of his calibre.

Good stuff at Kempton, too, where a race-fit Viren’s Army might be the answer to the Betfred-sponsored Magnolia Stakes.

Now in training with Charlie Appleby, the Godolphin colt looked the part in the Dee Stakes at Chester last May and appeared as fit as a flea when he tootled home in a Meydan handicap in February.

Muntahaa can make the most of a drop in class following a fine effort in the St Leger when he returns to Doncaster for his seasonal reappearance on Sunday.

The son of Dansili goes for the Adwick Kingpin Conditions Stakes, having taken fourth place behind Harbour Law in the world’s oldest Classic on his last start of 2016.

His trainer John Gosden had been concerned the St Leger might be a step too far, too soon for the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt.

That was only the sixth start of his life and he was making the massive hike to a Group One Classic on the back of a Listed handicap success at Chester.

The drop down to a mile and a half should not prove an inconvenience as Muntahaa won his maiden over that trip and he did have every chance at that point in the St Leger.

Gosden can also strike with Loujain in division two of the Purple Vouchers Maiden Stakes.

Clive Cox saddles an interesting contender in turf newcomer Flood Warning in the Yorkshire Wildlife Park Handicap.

The daughter of Pivotal, owned by Cheveley Park Stud, only made her debut at Lingfield in December where she was fifth in a seven-furlong maiden.

Since then, she has twice successfully stepped up in trip at Wolverhampton.

There is no reason why she cannot translate her form on to grass and her rating of 83 looks workable.