Andre Poutama has Apieceoflou really running in his upset win at Alexandra Park. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.
Ray confident the improving Apieceoflou will do a good job for his new owners in Australia
By Barry Lichter • 14 December 2020
Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green never made a secret of the fact he liked Apieceoflou as a racehorse.
So it was with mixed feelings that he said goodbye to the horse yesterday.
The Sweet Lou three-year-old has been sold and flew to Australia where Green says he’s sure he’ll do a good job.
“He could develop into a half decent horse, given time. He’s not up to the good ones at this stage but the buyers will get their money back.”
Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street paid $85,000 for the big, rangy colt at the 2019 Christchurch yearling sale, alerted to his good American pedigree.
Out of Wantapieceofme, a half-sister to a 1:47 winner, he boasts a string of big race winners in his family.
While he won only one of his 16 starts here, he seldom enjoyed luck with the barrier draws, regularly posting the best sectional times in his races, roaring home from the back.
In the one race he did win, in October, he started from two on the gate, trailed, and swished up the passing lane for Andre Poutama to easily beat an in-form Luke John by one and a quarter lengths. His time of 2:02.6 for the 1700 metres represented a slick mile rate of 1:56, his 800 and 400 splits of 55.1 and 26.9 right up there.
The worst he finished in four starts since then was fourth, running into useful types like Taipo and Jack Ryan.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
