Aussie bookies running scared of Lincoln Farms’ pair for Brisbane winter features
By Barry Lichter • 1 May 2019
Northview Hustler hasn’t even arrived in Brisbane yet and he has the Aussie bookies running scared.
Lincoln Farms’ flagship pacer has opened third favourite at just $5 in the bookies’ early futures market for the winter Queensland feature, the $A200,000 The Blacks A Fake Championship (2680m) on July 20.
The bookies are likely taking note of the success of stablemate Trojan Banner, who is unbeaten in five starts since arriving in Queensland and has also opened third favourite for the $A100,000 Queensland Derby (2680m) the same night.
Trainer Al Barnes was surprised to see his stable star as short as $4.50 for the late season feature given he has yet to tackle the leading local three-year-olds.
And Hustler’s high rating is also a shock as he has won only one of his seven starts this season.
Bookies have him clearly ahead of 2018 Miracle Mile winner My Field Marshal ($9), who failed in both the Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake in Brisbane last year and Tim Butt stablemate Let It Ride ($11), who won the Blacks A Fake in 2018 but hasn’t been at his best since.
Former Lincoln Farms’ pacer Lincoln Road, who has won nine races in Brisbane for Barnes since arriving five months ago, is also on the fourth line of betting at $11.
Lochinvar Art, who is a $3 favourite for the derby, has yet to miss a place in 19 starts, winning 10 of them.
Third in both the Victoria and New South Wales Derbies, he has not raced since winning the Gold Chalice Final (2260m) at Bathurst on March 29.
Second favourite Max Delight has not been seen since March 16 when he won the Tasmanian Derby.
He was a sensational winner of the New South Wales Derby two starts back at Menangle when he beat Malcom’s Rhythm and Lochinvar Art, clocking a mile rate of 1:51.5 for the 2400 metres.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
