Ray: Yes, Argyle’s win was easy but only poor programming saw him lost to Auckland

While pleased with Argyle’s five length win on Thursday night, trainer Ray Green just wishes he didn’t have to go all the way to Cambridge to do it.

And he is adamant that with proper programming at Auckland, more horses like Argyle would stay and bolster numbers at a track battling to present full fields.

In six previous starts at Alexandra Park, Argyle had struggled, his best a second on debut as a two-year-old.

But, enjoying a considerable drop in class last night in the Waikato, Argyle and Maurice McKendry led all the way to justify his hot favouritism.

Green says the horse didn’t suddenly up his game, he was just able to go round in a field where he was competitive.

“They don’t programme races for these kind of horses at Auckland - there should be conditions on the maiden races.

“Horses like Argyle can’t beat the young ones coming through at Auckland. The likes of Barry Purdon always have a couple of good ones and the rest are racing for third.”

In Argyle’s last four starts at Alexandra Park, the races were won by two Purdon-Phelan hot favourites in Bettor Listen and Miss Montana and another $1.60 shot in Take The Miki, from the Reid-McMullen barn.

“That’s why we have to go to Cambridge, it’s better to get a little money than nothing. And we’ll go back there again next start.”

Green said he had told newly appointed director Robert Dunn that the reluctance of the Auckland club to attract the lesser lights was impacting severely on its livelihood, with small fields resulting in fewer meetings being allocated on less favourable dates.

“Nobody likes getting their arses kicked at Auckland and that’s why they go to Cambridge.”

Green says McKendry didn’t think the left-handed way of going made any difference to Argyle.

“It was the big drop in class and, while Maurice said he could keep improving, we’re not getting carried away with the win.”

At $210,000, Argyle was John Street’s priciest buy at the 2020 Karaka yearling sale.Neither are the syndicate which races Argyle, despite his rich breeding (Bettor’s Delight - Royal Gem) and hefty price tag of $210,000.

The team includes Lincoln Farms owners John and Lynne Street, brother-in-law Barry Jones and his wife Marie, David Turner and the Friday Frenzy Racing syndicate.

The Friday Frenzy group comprises the Streets’ long time friend and former Sylvia Park Pak ’N’ Save owner Peter Jeffares, former All Black Bernie McCahill, Pak ’N’ Save’s Glen Innes boss Rob Redwood, Harcourts Wellington’s Mike Ledger and Lincoln Farms’ business manager Ian Middleton.

It came about in November, 2020 at an annual charity event in Auckland, the Friday Champions’ Lunch, when Street kindly offered a 20% share in Argyle after another lot fell off the auction list.

Despite Middleton urging the group sitting at his table not to go beyond $20,000, their final bid was $26,000 which was donated to the Stroke Foundation.

Considering 10% shares in the colt were going for $26,220 at the time, it still seemed like a pretty good deal.

“They’re a good bunch of blokes so I’m glad the horse has finally shown something,” Middleton said.

“Mike’s been wanting to come up from Wellington to see the horse and make a night of it and now there’ll be more incentive.”

Argyle comes from a family well explored by Lincoln Farms. The Streets originally owned Royal Gem before deciding not to continue with their breeding programme and selling her to Woodlands.

Royal Gem was in utero when Street bought her mother Tania Tandias at a dispersal sale in Christchurch but while Green remembers she was very fast she was always lame and never raced.

Argyle is one of only three live foals Royal Gem has produced but Tania Tandias has left the tough racehorses Tommy Lincoln, Lincoln Road and Lincoln’s Girl, all good performers for Lincoln Farms.