Trojan Banner, winning his trial last week, has poor opposition on Wednesday and is poised to make it six from six in Brisbane.
Al wants to turn easy kill into a war to see if Trojan Banner handles Redcliffe at top speed
By Barry Lichter • 11 June 2019
Winning at Redcliffe on Wednesday night won’t be a problem for Trojan Banner - on form he stands head and shoulders above his four rivals.
But there’ll be no taking the easy lead and strolling round for a comfortable, easy kill.
Trainer Al Barnes and his driver son Hayden will be setting Trojan Banner a task to ensure he can pace smoothly at top speed round the tight, triangular track.
And just winning won’t be enough to convince Barnes to tackle the Redcliffe Derby the following week.
“He should win no worries but we’re going to drive him cold and come with one sprint so he has to go wide and do a bit of work to round them up.
“Only that will tell us what we need to know,’’ says Barnes.
“Sure he could lead and run two minutes on Wednesday and win easily but we need to know he gets round that track running 1:56 or 1:57.
Trojan Banner has to navigate two bends at top speed in the last 500 metres at Redcliffe.“There are two turns in the last 500 metres and they’ll be flat out round them in the derby, running 28 quarters. The turn at the 500 is the main problem, it’s quite sharp, and we can’t have him hitting himself. He’s got to be 100 percent round there on Wednesday or I won’t start him.’’
Barnes says despite working on the problem, Trojan Banner is still hanging - “he’s got a little problem in his neck or back end, something skeletal, that we haven’t straightened out yet.
“He hangs quite strongly on the turns and when he does it he’s cross firing and hitting himself.
“He did it in that trial last week, and had a few marks on him afterwards, and that was on the big Albion Park track.
“It’s all through having his head turned. It’s half a habit for him now. I could put a pole on and sometimes he’d still do it.’’
Barnes says Trojan Banner has to prove to him on Wednesday night that he can cope with Redcliffe because he knows Lincoln Farms’ second runner, Make Way, is already proven round tight tracks.
“You might see him win comfortably and think he’s OK but Hayden is the one who can tell me how he paces and steers, and if he thinks he’ll handle it in the derby.
“It’s only one $20,000 race. The next one is $30,000 (South East Derby) and the big one (Queensland Derby) $100,000 and I’d rather win them.’’
Barnes says Trojan Banner still has some improvement to come - while unbeaten in five starts in Brisbane he hasn’t raced since April 23.
“But he’s still forward enough to do the job comfortably.’’
Trojan Banner, winner of eight of his 23 starts, will touch a very short price on Wednesday with none of his rivals having won at Albion Park.
All three of Feelingforarainbow’s wins have been in easier Redcliffe fields, Better Because has won three of her 35 starts, all at Redcliffe, and Let’s Dig It is a one-race winner, also at Redcliffe.
Scheu Creek has won only twice, once at Dubbo and once at Melton.
Trojan Banner races at 10.50pm NZ time at Redcliffe on Wednesday.
More news in Harness
Lincoln Wave scorches in, still on target for richer races and Sammy’s making progress too
Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
