No other 3yo has been around the Alex Park 1700 faster than this win by Debbie Lincoln. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.
All hail Debbie, the new speed queen of Alex Park, as she tackles a mile from the pole
By Barry Lichter • 14 October 2025
The new speed queen of Alexandra Park, Debbie Lincoln, gets the nod from co-trainer Ray Green over her stablemates on Friday night.
Debbie Lincoln starts from the pole in the third race, run over a mile, with some extraordinary speed figures beside her name after becoming the fastest three-year-old to ever run over 1700 metres at Auckland at her last start.
When Debbie Lincoln downed the hot favourite Joyride, she became the first to run the Alex Park 1700 in sub two minutes, clocking a supersonic 1:59.9, a mile rate of 1:53.5 which was in itself the 1609 metre national open record held by Scuse Me for 11 years.
The time bettered the Alexandra Park fillies’ record for 1700 metres of 2:00.4, set by Ideal Belle 12 years ago.
And, remarkably, it also eclipsed the colts and geldings’ record of 2:00, set by Greased Lightnin only in February.
With that brand of speed, Green believes Debbie Lincoln has a good chance of leading Friday’s race.
“We’ve never really tried to leave the gate with her but, from the inside draw, she has the advantage and should lead or trail.
“You’d have to say on her last run she’s the best chance of our trio though Sugar Ray Lincoln and Kevin Kline are both racing very well.”
Debbie Lincoln, who is being targetted at the $200,000 Nevele R Fillies’ Final at Addington on cup day, November 11, has trained on well, says Green, and continues to improve.
Sugar Ray Lincoln, too, is thriving, says Green and is looking very well.
“He was only just beaten last time and, from two, should get every chance.”
Third, in the same race last week, was Kevin Kline, just half a head away, rocketing home to record the fastest sectionals in the race of 55.8 and 27.6.
“Kev never goes a bad race. The draw isn’t as desirable, but the small field helps.”
While Tyson might lack the speed of the two favourites in the fourth race, Mako and Tytate, Green says you can never count him out because he is so tough.
Three wide round the first bend last week and forced to work hard to lead, Tyson was then attacked a number of times before succumbing to fifth only in the last 200 metres.
With the early scratching of Dave Duley, Tyson moves in one spot closer to four which should allow driver Maurice McKendry to settle handy without doing any where near as much work.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
