Sam: Lincoln King feels like a real stayer and the Dunstan Final is perfect for him

Winning rider Sam Collett believes Lincoln King is perfectly suited to the $100,000 Dunstan Stayers’ Final for which he was nominated yesterday.

Trainer Stephen Marsh didn’t need to wait to see how Lincoln King fared at Te Aroha today to know he is a promising stayer in the making and is worth aiming at the New Year’s Day feature at Ellerslie.

And the five-year-old didn’t let him down, coming from the tail of the field in the rating 65 2200 metre event, and running away to beat Iskander by three and a half lengths.

Collett was impressed by the way Lincoln King kept finding the line today.

“He’s an out-and-out stayer and the way he won today suggested the further the better.”

In Lincoln King’s favour is that the distance of the Dunstan Championship has been increased from last season’s 2200 metres to 2400 metres.

Sam Collett brings Lincoln King back to scale. PHOTO: Kenton Wright/Race Images.“That race looks perfect for him,” says Marsh.

“He was very strong at the line today and it was a very good effort considering he’d had only two runs over a mile and was going straight up to 2200 metres.”

Collett says she wasn’t surprised that Lincoln King won today.

“He’d been unlucky this time in. I was a wee bit concerned with his wide draw but he was the class horse of the field.

“The pace was a bit muddling early and he took time to get going. I had to hustle him along but that’s what you want in a stayer.

“And then they poured the pace on and it really suited him as he was able to keep grinding into it.”

Collett started her move from the back at the 800 metre mark and Lincoln King quickly reeled in the leaders, maintaining his run right to the post.

“The quality of our stayers has been lacking in the last 12 months and he’s only lightly tried and will only keep improving.

“He has all the qualities of a stayer and is a neat horse to ride. He’s workmanlike and has a great attitude.”