Lincoln’s Girl and driver Hayden Barnes were too tough for their trial rivals yesterday. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
Strong trial win sees Al change tack with Lincoln’s Girl and target Tuesday mile
By Barry Lichter • 31 July 2019
Trainer Al Barnes will reserve Lincoln’s Girl for Albion Park on Tuesday after she scored a strong trial win on the course yesterday.
Barnes had planned to race the filly in Sunday’s A$7500 Marburg Oaks but her tough run yesterday has tilted him in favour of running next week for A$8500 over a more preferable distance.
“Rather than running in the Oaks over 2200 metres on an unfamiliar tight track, where she might over-race and pull, I thought she’d be better over 1660 metres on Tuesday for more money.
“She’s been a bit fresh and needed the hitout yesterday but did a power of work and won very convincingly.
“She started from two on the second row, went three wide to the chair and on to the top at the 800 and was too strong, winning by 1.9 metres.”
Lincoln’s Girl, freshened since the Queensland Oaks, clocked 1:59.4 in beating Bettor Vision over the 1660 metres, a mile rate of 1:55.8, home in 57.4 and 29.2.
A few minutes before Lincoln’s Girl trialled yesterday, Barnes won a race with former Lincoln Farms’ pacer Miss Blue Glory who paced similar time to Lincoln’s Girl.
Barnes will start Trojan Banner in Sunday’s Marburg Derby, confident he will improve on his seventh last night when he was forced to work overtime throughout the race.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 2: Johnny Lincoln
5.39pm
“He didn’t do anything at Auckland last start but seems to go better left-handed and placed at Cambridge in his only start there.”
Race 2: Lincoln Maree
5.39pm
“Her driver (Harrison Orange) said she would have won last start had that horse (Mr Miki) not stopped in her face. The winner was gone by the time she saw daylight. She will just need some luck from the second row draw.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.39pm
“He should have won last start at Auckland but we’ve taken the blinds off on Friday night and, in a weaker line-up, going left-handed, we’ll see how he goes.”
Race 4: Spiritual Bliss
6.37pm
“I think the race will be won or lost soon after the start. It’s out of our control, we just have to hope she gets a run through and then I’m sure she’ll be hard to beat.”
Race 8: Lincoln Downs
8.40pm
“She’s got a little bit of lick but only has a short sprint, so timing is everything.”
Race 8: Lincoln Lover
8.40pm
“Being put in the race from the start last time obviously took a bit of the sting out of him. But at least there’s no chance that will happen this time from the second row. In his previous races he’d ducked for cover and got sucked along but he needs a decent tempo, he’s no sit-sprinter.”
