GLAD THAT’S OVER : Harrison Orange finally gets to relax on Spiritual Bliss. PHOTO: Jack McKenzie/Race Images.
A picture of Bliss but poor Harry’s arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets
By Barry Lichter • 10 December 2025
Co-trainer Nathan Delany prescribed a rest day today for both Spiritual Bliss and her driver Harrison Orange after their energy-sapping win at Manawatu on Tuesday night.
Having her first start for Lincoln Farms, after being in the stable for little more than a week, Spritual Bliss cleared out to a three-length win to register just her third win in 40 starts.
But while the judge wasn’t tested, and the photo finish shows Orange looking down as if winning in his sleep, it actually reflected just how exhausting the mare had been to drive.
Virtually from the moment Orange manouevred Spiritual Bliss through from the second row to the perfect one-one trail, she started pulling.
And when he launched as far as 800 metres out, it was simply because he couldn’t hold her any longer.
“Harry said his arms were that tired afterwards he couldn’t have lifted a 1kg dumb bell.
“He did well to hold her for so long and I’ve told him to relax today.”
Delanay said while Spritual Bliss goes up a grade on Thursday night, and meets some nice horses, he believes she’ll be a good chance again, this time from a good front row draw.
The mare’s winning mile rate alone would back that up - she paced 1:59.9 for 2500 metres compared with the 2:00.5 it took the R41 to R46 horses to run the shorter 2000 metres.
“She tries hard and really digs in and if she does that again you couldn’t count her out.”
The win gave an instant return for Spiritual Bliss’ breeder Dave Phillips, who moved the horse north after her lease to David Beckingsale expired.
The Russian-based Phillips bred the Always B Miki five-year-old from the speedy Spirit And Desire who won 14 races, including three in Australia.
The win by Spritual Bliss continued a good run of form for Lincoln Farms in the CD where in a magic two months earlier in the year it notched eight wins and banked nearly $80,000.
But Delany isn’t confident with Lincoln Farms’ two other runners on the second night of the meeting.
Lincoln Downs did everything right when fourth on Tuesday night, benefitting from a good Jacob Dunn steer ,who got her off the fence early and into the one-one.
The filly only battled into fourth, however, Delany reporting she blew heavily afterwards.
“The heat got to her, it was very hot down here yesterday.”
Lincoln Maree’s race on Tuesday was basically history before she even started.
Driver Andre Poutama was granted permission to fit a shadow roll before the start after the filly tried to jump shadows in her preliminary but she still broke in the score-up and again 1750 metres out.
Lincoln Maree should benefit from a later race on Thursday night - instead of the opener, which was run at 4.17pm, she lines up in the last race at 8.22pm when the shadows have gone.
“But she’s not the most genuine so I’m not holding my breath.”
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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.”
