After the drama of Cheltenham, attention turns to the start of the Flat turf season tomorrow and the traditional curtain-raiser of the Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster.

It looks as tricky a race to solve as ever, with horses fit from running on the all-weather tracks during the winter opposed by those who have been prepared for this target.

As a bookie, I’m dreading Tiger Woods’ comeback at the Masters in a few weeks time for he is the ultimate punters’ pal, and another Tiger looks like one to fear in the Lincoln.

Tiger Reigns could easily be named after the golfer who has hit the headlines for indulging in a few ‘birdies’ of a different kind in the last few months.

But in reality it’s probably more to do with his breeding, for his sire is Tiger Hill and his dam is called Showery, so the naming is actually very clever.

And the four-year-old’s form is equally smart. The Lincoln is often won by a horse on the upgrade, last year’s winner Expresso Star being a prime example, and Tiger Reigns looks to fall into that category.

Last season he won five of his eight races, all of them by less than a length to show he relishes a battle. Plus, four of those victories were on an easy surface which, given that the ground on Town Moor will be on the soft side, is a definite advantage.

Trainer Michael Dods is expected to have a lucrative campaign with a big investor now backing his yard and Phillip Makin is a jockey going places.

They have high hopes for Tiger Reigns, with some other big handicaps later in the year being lined up for him, and at around 12/1 he represents great value.

Of the likely dangers, Mull Of Killough is a similarly progressive type who won on his racecourse debut last year so ought to go well fresh.

Collateral Damage should also figure prominently if an unfortunate experience in the stalls at Wolverhampton a couple of weeks ago that caused him to be withdrawn has not left a mark.

As well as Doncaster, the other big attraction tomorrow is the Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest horse race, and unusually there is a real chance of a British winner.

Henry Cecil runs Twice Over, who ended last year with a fine third place in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, while Crowded House and Gitano Hernando are other live contenders from this country bidding for the £3.7million first prize.

Gitano Hernando would be a dream winner for young Newmarket-based trainer Marco Botti and he has Kieren Fallon in the saddle. I can see him faring best of the British challengers and I am keeping him short in the betting.

But the best value bet in the race could be last year’s runner-up Gloria De Campeao, who went on to win the prestigious Singapore Airlines International Cup and appears to be a much better horse on the artificial tracks than he is on grass.

Nearly £2million goes to the winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic and this could be taken by the home team with Campanologist, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, looking a strong each-way bet at around 10/1.

Fred Done