After 40 years in the sulky, Fergie’s just loving his renaissance in the lincoln green silks

In his 40th season, Peter Ferguson reckons he’s never enjoyed driving as much.

And the experience he’s gained in that time, “particularly with the naughty ones” undoubtedly helped him to a Friday night double at Auckland with the Lincoln Farms’ pair Sugar Ray Lincoln and Tyson.

Ferguson, 57, who has reined home seven of the last 10 winners for Lincoln Farms, and has 13 scalps in the lincoln green silks this season, was at his analytical best behind Sugar Ray Lincoln, who has emerged from eight months in the wilderness since he jumped in the sulky.

“I’ve always quite liked the horse - I’d seen him finish over the top of some nice ones - and thought, if the opportunity arose, I’d like to have a try on him.”

Sugar Ray Lincoln staves off Turn O The Tide and Ragnar Lothbrok on Friday night. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Three starts later, with two wins and a dead unlucky fifth, Fergie reckons it’s all about keeping the horse focussed.

“Maybe I was just lucky, and have got on him at the right time when they’ve got his feet right, but I just make sure he doesn’t lose his concentration.

“I give him a good warm-up, during the race I’m talking to him the whole time, and I keep the stick up to keep him focussed. That way we stay one step ahead of things and don’t get any surprises if something rushes at us.”

While Fergie pressed on to lead on Friday, he reckons he could just as easily have sat parked because the horse, while switched on, remained relaxed.

And the neck and nose margin over Turn O The Tide and Ragnar Lothbrok was not a true reflection of the merit of the run - “the win was actually better than it looked. He’s not a natural leader, he’s better coming off a helmet.”

Fergie believes if trainer Ray Green and Nathan Delany can keep Sugar Ray right, he can progress further up the ladder.

“He’s one of those horses who if he’s 100 percent, he’ll give you 120, but if he’s only 90 percent, he’ll give you 50.

“I’m not saying he’s a cup horse but he’ll win more races. Last week, in a harder field, he was pushing them over the line.”

Fergie gets the best out of Tyson who registered his third win at Auckland. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Tyson also proved with his win in 2:41.5 that he can compete at a higher grade, where the tempo is consistently faster.

“If they go any slower than 2:41, it doesn’t suit him. But the trick with him is, while he’s tough, you’ve got to keep him interested.

“If you let him get back, he’ll just flop around. But if you can get him up there and switch him on, he’s quite happy sitting parked.”

Fergie politely says Tyson likes to “conserve his energy” and, while it may have looked like he was gone turning in, he was always confident he’d run top three.

“He can struggle on that last bend, and on Friday night he didn’t handle it so well, but he always finds the line in the straight.”

Fergie, who started driving in 1986 and says he’s had a lot of practice with naughty ones, has become the number one go-to for Green and Delany since he drove seven winners for Lincoln Farms on the Manawatu circuit earlier in the year.

With Zachary Butcher more often committed to Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan and Andre Poutama now working for Mark and Nathan Purdon, Fergie says it’s just been a case of ‘right place, right time’.

But he also played a major part in the transformation of one-time give-away The Rascal into a sale to Canada earlier this week and says it’s easy driving for Lincoln Farms because Green and Delany listen to his advice and know their horses will be looked after.

“I’m really enjoying the driving at the moment. I don’t really chase the drives, I’m happy enough sitting at home watching them on TV. And I don’t travel like I did. But when Wendy and I go down to Manawatu now we stay for a few days, instead of rushing around, which is more enjoyable.

“I’m helping Dylan and Jo, and if I don’t drive at the races it doesn’t worry me. But it’s amazing how when you start to win a few, you get more drives for others too so it’s all down to form.”

Fergie now sits 12th equal on the premiership with 43 wins but it wasn’t that long ago that he was right at the top, winning twice, with 100 in 2007 and 104 in 2003.

In his best year, 2008, he drove 138 winners, finishing second, eight behind Dexter Dunn.

And you can tell Fergie likes the fact that he was the last driver to win a premiership other than Dunn and Blair Orange.