John Street, right, and Ray Green with their guest from the crowd and Ian Middleton flanked by Rick and Laurie Pettinger enjoy the victory celebrations after Hampton Banner’s win at Auckland. PHOTO: Megan Leifting/Race Images.
A real Lincoln Farms celebration after Hampton Banner’s thrilling last-to-first win
By Barry Lichter • 7 February 2020
None of Lincoln Farms’ partners in Hampton Banner could be at Alexandra Park to see their horse’s spectacular win tonight but that didn’t stop the celebrations.
Moments after the rapidly improving three-year-old came from last to score an emphatic fresh-up win, Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street and business manager Ian Middleton found some people to share in the birdcage fun.
Street invited a stranger from the crowd to experience the thrill of winning and some Canadian friends of Middleton, Rick and Laurie Pettinger, joined the party for some memorable photos on their first visit to New Zealand.
The winners’ room was even more packed as partners in other Lincoln Farms horses shared a celebratory drink, a now firmly established tradition after the Lincoln green silks triumph.
Street graciously presented the trophy - a wine bottle labelled with the winning photo and glasses - to the Canadian couple as a memento of their trip, confident that there would be many more such fruits for his partners in the future.
Street and his wife Lynne race Hampton Banner with southerners Ian Kedzlie, Steve MacDonald, Robert Seebeck and Chris Prutton along with Aucklanders Dennis Ebert and Kevin and Annette Crosswell.
Zachary Butcher sits quietly on Hampton Banner after a peach of a drive to win at Alexandra Park. PHOTO: Megan Leifting/Race Images.And Street indicated the team could now have a horse capable of progressing on to the Northern Derby prelude in a fortnight.
“I didn’t think he could win fresh-up tonight from the outside of the second line but sometimes it just takes three-year-olds time to mature. If you wait for them, they do come right.
“This horse and Man Of Action (fourth) could both be derby horses.”
Trainer Ray Green confirmed Hampton Banner, by champion sire Bettor’s Delight, had been a slow maturer troubled by growing pains last year.
“But he’s stronger now and is just getting better and better.
“Zac said he won it easily and was just jogging on the turn.”
Zachary Butcher showed remarkable patience with Hampton Banner and was still last, joining the three wide train led by Man Of Action down the back straight the last time.
Butcher was still sitting quietly rounding the home turn when forced five wide but after unleashing the horse on straightening he quickly turned what looked an impossible deficit into a hollow win, clearing out by two and a half lengths.
“Zac said he even switched off after he hit the front.”
Hampton Banner clocked 2:42.2 for the mobile 2200 metres, his closing sectionals being much quicker than the 57.4 and 28.6 run off the front.
Man Of Action’s effort to finish fourth, just a head and half a length behind runner-up Sheffield Sparky, also pleased Green.
Despite being three wide with no cover for the last 700 metres, he was right in the fight up the home straight, in easily his best showing since clearing maidens at Cambridge last month and belying his tote odds of $67.
More news in Harness
Friday night’s main event: In the blue corner, Tyson, in the red corner, Sugar Ray
After 40 years in the sulky, Fergie’s just loving his renaissance in the lincoln green silks
Big-spending Mike Tanev snares The Rascal and he’s off to Canada next week
Dreams Of Eric goes from black and blue to blue and white, now for Harness 5000
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
