Botti is hoping Solar Deity can lead Lincoln cavalry charge on Town Moor

Botti, the son of Italy’s multiple champion trainer Alduino, hopes to justify his move to new stables by landing the William Hill Lincoln on Saturday.

However, the ground will need to dry for all-weather specialist Solar Deity to justify his leading claims while stablemate Guest of Honour is unlikely to make the cut.

Botti was speaking at a media day to launch the 2013 Flat season which begins on Town Moor on Friday before the Lincoln cavalry charge takes place 24 hours later.

“Both would want good ground – maybe good to soft but not too soft,” said Botti, who has moved his string to new stables in Newmarket.

“I don’t think Guest Of Honour will get in, so he will probably go for the consolation race instead.

“We knew last year that Solar Deity always ran well on the all-weather and after he won the Listed race, there’s nothing left for him. He looks in fabulous order, but he just wouldn’t want the ground too soft.”

Botti’s stable star, Planteur, will fly to the Gulf this weekend ahead of a tilt at the Dubai World Cup on March 30.

The six-year-old looked in excellent health yesterday, despite having spent his time preparing through the chilly British weather.

He has taken a slightly different route towards the planet’s richest race when landing the Winter Derby Trial at Lingfield last month.

In his first season since leaving Elie Lellouche in France, Planteur stayed on to finish third in last year’s World Cup, but was put in his place by Frankel on his final start of the summer in the Juddmonte International at York.

“I was very pleased with his run at Lingfield considering I knew he would need it a lot,” said Botti.

In brand-new premises, Botti’s aim this season is to train a domestic Group One and one on the top of his list is Moohaajim, a contender for the Qipco 2000 Guineas.

Winner of the Mill Reef at Newbury, the Cape Cross colt was touched off by Reckless Abandon in the Middle Park Stakes.

“I’m pleased with his progress – it’s so far, so good – and we plan to run him in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury,” said Botti.

“He’s entered in the French and English Guineas, but the priority will be the English. He was on the small side last year, but he has done well.”

In other Lincoln news, trainer Alan Bailey is convinced Strictly Silver will take some hauling back – as long as conditions are in his favour.

The four-year-old colt booked his place in the esteemed handicap on the first day of the Flat season with a convincing victory in a trial race at Wolverhampton earlier in the month.

“As long as the ground is not heavy, Strictly Silver will be hard to beat,” said Newmarket-based Bailey.

“He’s absolutely bouncing at the moment and I am just praying we have good ground.

“He had to win at Wolverhampton to be sure of a run in the Lincoln. He picks up a 5lb penalty, but my apprentice, Robert Tart, will be able to use his 5lb allowance to offset that. You need the luck of the draw in the Lincoln, but I am convinced he is a better horse on grass and he has won at Doncaster.”

John Quinn is looking forward to seeing Countrywide Flame step up in distance at Aintree next month following his superb effort in defeat in last week’s Stan James Champion Hurdle.

Malton-based Quinn feels the two-and-a-half miles of the Aintree Hurdle will suit his versatile five-year-old ideally.

He said: “He’s absolutely fine and at the moment, we’re looking towards Aintree.

“That will probably be his last run over hurdles this season. He could go back on the Flat for the Chester Cup if he’s all right, but Aintree is our main aim. He’s improved through the season, he needs to improve again to win a Champion Hurdle, but he’s a contender.”

Quinn had two interesting players in this year’s Triumph Hurdle in Kashmir Peak and Hidden Justice, but neither landed a blow as Our Conor annihilated his rivals.

“They were a bit disappointing. Maybe they weren’t good enough, but I know they’re better than that,” he said.

It is increasingly likely that three-time Cheltenham Festival winner Albertas Run will be withdrawn after it was confirmed that he will bypass next month’s John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree.

Another who will not be running in the Aintree showpiece is the Charlie Longsdon-trained Frisco Depot, who fell in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup.

One horse who could be National-bound is Dessie Hughes’s Tofino Bay, who was denied Cheltenham glory by Back In Focus in the final strides of last week’s National Hunt Chase.

Owned by Ryanair chief Michael O’leary, he is a likely National mount for Bryan Cooper, the rising star of Irish racing.

Inspections today will determine prospects for jump racing at Newcastle tomorrow, and at Huntingdon on Thursday. Both tracks are waterlogged.