The Newmarket trainer’s first choice was made for Richard Quinn’s mount Colisay and he commented: “Richard said ideally he would like to be in the middle, then he can see what happens over the first two days and decide to go one way or the other.

“I was fortunate to get stall 12 for Colisay and when my turn came for Selective I decided to go for seven because Pablo had been drawn in stall six and he is one of the fancied runners.

“I wanted to be with horses which are quite good, and as it happens most of the favourites seem to be in the low numbers and I think you will find most of them will go that side.”

When asked which of his pair will prove the better, Stewart said he was very happy with both of them and could not split them.

He was full of praise for the part played by Jockey Club Estates manager Peter Amos in the preparation of his big-race runners.

Stewart said: “I quoted to Peter Amos a mythical statistic – I don’t know whether I‘m right or wrong – that Newmarket never wins the Lincoln and the reason is that they never open the grass gallops earlier enough.

“So this spring, instead of opening them two weeks before the Turf season started they made it three weeks before and gave me special permission, and the horses have had four good gallops.”

First-season trainer Andrew Balding had first choice of the draw for Bourgainville and opted to go for number four.

He had 10th choice for his other runner Dumaran, opting for stall two, and said: “I‘ll probably be totally wrong but I decided to put all my eggs in one basket and see how we go.”

Favourite Adiemus will come out of stall 10, while Jamie Osborne said of Sahaat: “He‘s in 22 and that wasn‘t what we had in mind. If I‘d had first choice I would have gone for four.

“But the one good thing about it is that Broadway Score is drawn 24 and he can go a bit so there should be some pace on that side.”

Mark Johnston, left with little choice, went for stall 23 for Albuhera and said: “Ideally I‘d have gone for eight or lower, but I was going to go high otherwise.”

Scotty’s Future finished fifth in the race last year and his trainer David Nicholls had no choice at all, his number being last out of the bag.

After he was left with stall 21 he said: “I‘d have gone low – all the good horses and all the pace is there. But you never know, if it dries out a high draw could be all right.”

Paul Cole, who has won the race three times, has two runners in Cornelius (17) and Certain Justice (11) and, not present himself, took the unusual course of not nominating anyone to pick a stall for either of his runners. Therefore, under the rules the lowest stall available at the time each horse’s number was drawn was allotted.