Our former pin-up boy Trojan Banner earns headlines at The Meadowlands with 1:51 mile

Former Lincoln Farms pacer Trojan Banner has made a great start to a new campaign by winning in his first attempt at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

In just his fourth start in the States since being sold out of Al Barnes’ Queensland stable, Trojan Banner (yellow wheels) unleashed a big sprint in the home stretch to nail the former Tony Herlihy-trained Italian Delight on the wire.

In a tight three-way finish, Trojan Banner was credited with a 1:51 flat mile, after reeling off his last 400 metres in 26.6.

Champion driver Tim Tetrick drove a perfect race on the Bettor’s Delight four-year-old, starting from three on the gate and slotting him into fifth possie as Italian Delight streaked to the early lead for Andrew McCarthy.

Tetrick manoeuvred into the one-one at the three-quarters mark then eased out to make his run after hot favourite Thinkbig Dreambig in the stretch.

Trojan Banner showed all the fight which saw him rack up seven straight wins for Barnes in Queensland, and brought his US record to four starts for two wins and a third for US$23,035 in stakes.

The only time he has been out of the money was at his previous start in March when he ran a big fourth in 1:49.4, as rank outsider, in a US$50,000 Invitational at Dover Downs.

Trojan Banner is now trained by Jim King jun., for Richard Poillucci and Jo Ann Looney-King.

Former Kiwis Runrunjimmydunn and The Bettormack, who were both trained here by Bunty Hughes, ran seventh and eighth.

Earlier in the night, another Lincoln Farms export from Queensland, Billy Lincoln, ran a fine US debut fourth from eight on the gate, ripping home in 26.4 behind the red hot favourite Moneyman Hill, in the hands of Kiwi star Dexter Dunn.

Billy Lincoln racked up three wins and three seconds from only seven starts for Barnes before his sale last November.