A real Lincoln Farms celebration after Hampton Banner’s thrilling last-to-first win

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.