Al confident with Larry Lincoln but the draw takes Hustler out of play on Saturday night
By Barry Lichter • 5 February 2021
With a wide barrier draw taking Northview Hustler out of play at Albion Park on Saturday night, Lincoln Farms will be looking to Larry Lincoln to fly the flag - and trainer Al Barnes is very confident he’ll do it admirably.
Larry Lincoln doesn’t have the best form line in the third race but it doesn’t reflect the enormity of his last start run.
Sent forward soon after the start from a wide draw, driver Hayden Barnes was left stranded three wide when the parked horse kicked up and he had no option but to go all the way back to last.
To see the horse then sprint fast up the inside in the home straight, only to run into a brick wall, came as quite a surprise to his trainer.
Larry Lincoln (red hood) is hard on the leaders’ backs with nowhere to go .“Hayden said he was bolting and he would have won for fun if he’d got out. If he runs up to that form I’m very confident he can win on Saturday.”
Barnes said his son quite rightly decided not to put his foot down when denied the chair.
“Given the work he did early anyway it was great to see him finish like that.”
Larry Lincoln was doing handstands in behind the placegetters, finishing fifth but only 4.4 metres from winner Ice Pick Angie. His closing sectionals of 54.7 and 27.47 were the fastest in the race.
“Nothing in that field on Saturday will run those times and even though his form has slipped a little he should get a lot of respect back now. He can bounce straight back and show them what he can do on Saturday night.
“Two the second row is a good draw for him to sit handy and it’s a good stake.”
The A$14,000 purse - about A$7800 to the winner - is only $1000 less than the main pace, but Barnes isn’t thinking he can get any more than the dregs with Northview Hustler drawn six in the opener.
“The field is drawn on ratings and unfortunately six puts us out of the race.
“From an inside draw he can hold his own - he can leave the gate on the bit - but if he’s out wide and you’ve got to chase him to cross and put one on his bum he just doesn’t finish his races off.
“He’ll go back and we’ll save him for one sprint so he runs on.”
Barnes says Hustler can’t threaten the two favourites Turn It Up and Colt Thirty One who dominate the betting and will probably end up leading and breezing.
Northview Hustler races at 8.11pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
Larry Lincoln races at 9.15pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
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Ray: Sammy Lincoln has ‘turned the corner’ and can go on with it on Friday night
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
