Covid restrictions will see numbers severely limited at Addington on Tuesday but the first horse punters will see on their racebooks will be Sugar Apple.
Copy Who? Sugar Apple to make unusual farewell on harness racing’s biggest day
By Barry Lichter • 5 November 2021
It’s the ultimate pub quiz stumper.
What horse was on the front cover of the racebook for IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day 2021?
Last year’s winner Self Assured?
Wrong.
Triple cup hero Terror To Love?
Wrong.
On a day when Lincoln Farms’ classy Copy That will start one of the favourites for the $600,000 feature at Addingon, one of its lesser performed horses gets the surprise pin-up treatment.
Enter, the racy looking, but only one-win two-year-old, Sugar Apple.
And the juvenile’s rare moment in the spotlight comes just a few days after he left Lincoln Farms and the country, sold to New South Wales interests.
Sugar Apple showing off at Cambridge on Jewels day.The Sweet Lou colt might have won just one of his six starts here, but he always made his presence known, and Auckland photographer Trish Dunell’s shot obviously took the fancy of the racebook designers.
A half brother to Lincoln Farms’ former classy three-year-old American Dealer, he has not raced since winning his last start for trainer Ray Green at Cambridge in August.
It was there just a few months earlier, on Harness Jewels day, that he turned on a display in front of the grandstand, rearing repeatedly before the score-up then blazing to the front to lead the fastest horses in the country in the Two-Year-Old Emerald.
“He’s a zippy little guy and they’ll love him over there,” Green said.
“He’ll win them in a row for a starter as they have so many more options for horses like him. He has gate speed, a big engine and a bit of lick. He’s just not that strong yet. He’s a similar type to Larry Lincoln, who was a sit-sprinter rather than one for big overland trips.”
Sugar Apple was raced here by American Dealer’s owners Gordon Banks and Marc Hanover, John and Lynne Street, Trevor Casey, Matt Hooper, Grant Dickey, Ian Kedzlie, the Chissos and Wack Syndicate and the Green Machine Racing Syndicate.
More news in Harness
Little Missy Lincoln can stand up for herself in Young Guns fillies’ heat on Friday night
Leo poised to roar again - he looks a ratings special at Cambridge on Thursday night
Pole goes on The Night Fox - now he just needs a little luck from a niggly draw on Friday night
$10,000 weanling Johnny Lincoln surprises again with fifth win over white hot blue blood
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Nathan’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 2: Lincoln Maree
5.55pm
“Frank drove a nice race on her last time, doing a bit of work early before leading and trailing, but I think the result might have been different if she’d led all the way. She has no speed, she’s better in front and rolling, so this week we’ll tell Frank to go forward and to not hand up and hopefully she can go one better.”
Race 4: The Night Fox
6.56pm
“He got KOed last time at Auckland but Harry said he felt like he could have won with a decent draw so we’ll just put that race behind us. I wouldn’t say this field is any harder. We’ve got a bad draw again but it depends on how the race pans out. I think he can still win.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.58pm
“He’s doing a good job, and he ran home well last time at Cambridge, but Leo Lincoln is definitely the pick of ours.”
Race 6: Leo Lincoln
7.58pm
“He’ll strip a lot fitter and I think he’s a good winning chance. He’s been racing open class horses and this is a huge drop back for him.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Linda
5.06pm
“I’m not holding my breath. She beat a poor bunch at Cambridge and will have to step up here.”
Race 2: Rivergirl Bella
5.45pm
“Given the right trip, she should finish off not too bad as she has a bit of speed but, after two runs back, she needs to improve.”
Race 7: Missy Lincoln
8.09pm
“She’s only little but she trialled super and got home in 2:00.6 mile rate. If she repeats that, she’ll be in the fray. It’s early days yet but she’s a nice, tractable filly who has drawn well in two and, based on that one trial, you’d have to give her a chance. Whether she improves off it, we’ll see.”
Race 8: Spiritual Bliss
8.34pm
“I don’t think any of the others stand over her. She’s a tough mare who has trained on well. I’d love to see her in front, she’s proven that’s where she goes best, but whether she’ll get there from four is debatable. But I’m sure she’ll go another good race.”
