Andre’s tip to Ray - try taking the blinds off head-scratcher Sammy Lincoln for Cambridge

The blinds come off Sammy Lincoln at Cambridge on Friday night in an unorthodox move which co-trainer Ray Green hopes will get the best out of the talented pacer.

“Blinds should make them focus more but his driver suggested we try him without them,” Green said of Andre Poutama’s advice.

Poutama, who is enjoying a stellar season in the bike, sitting fourth on the premiership with 50 wins, had his first feel of Sammy Lincoln on racenight at Auckland last week.

And, typical of the three-year-old who has been making a habit of getting into scrapes, or simply spoiling his chances through greenness, he was yet again a black-booker, bookies opening him the hottest favourite of the 11-race Cambridge card at $1.90.

Sammy Lincoln has always been a shade tardy away at the start but took that to a new level at Auckland by refusing to even go up to the gate, earning a warning from the stewards.

He was then inconvenienced on the first turn by a breaking rival and again 1200 metres later when two rivals locked wheels ahead of him, holding him up at a crucial stage down the back straight.

When Poutama found clear air, Sammy Lincoln roared closer, but could not bridge the gap on his rivals despite running his last 800 metres in 56.3.

“We’ve been saying for some time that he’s green and inexperienced but you can’t keep using that as an excuse. Still, you can’t hold that last race against him and he probably needed the run too as it was his first for a couple of months.

“Ability-wise he’s very good and on paper he should win. If he turns up, he’s the one to beat for sure.”

Green says Sammy Lincoln will handle the left-handed way of Cambridge better and will also enjoy a drop in grade, this week’s race for R35 to R39 pacers, plus two R40s, compared with the Auckland opposition of R36 to R47.

In his only two previous races at Cambridge, Sammy Lincoln raced with credit against much better performed rivals, finishing fourth in a Sires’ Stakes Semi Final to Lincoln Wave, Cyclone Rebel and Special Occasion over Friday’s distance of 1700 metres and a close third to Secret Beach and Life Less Ordinary over 2200m after sitting parked for the last 1100 metres.

With an early scratching, Sammy Lincoln comes in to five on the gate but just how well he can begin, combined with the tempo of the race, will no doubt dictate whether Poutama comes with one run or makes a mid-race move.

“It’s hard coming from the back but Harry (Harrison Orange) tried to launch him one night and he hit a knee and broke.”

Green was delighted with the way Leo Lincoln ($8.50, $2.40) went first-up at Auckland and fancies he can again get some of the money in the ninth race.

It was the five-year-old’s first race since a sale to Canada fell through and he had surgery on an entrapped epiglottis.

“He was closing on the winner last week, even though American Me had already switched off.

“There are no American Mes this week and you can guarantee he’ll be in it. He’ll go better the Cambridge way round - he handle the corners a lot better.”

Leo Lincoln, who haws drawn ideally in two, has four wins at Cambridge to his credit, one at the 1700 metres of Friday night.

Stablemate Ultimate Cullect ($8.50, $2.45) showed signs of improvement last week, when fourth to American Me, and Green hopes she, too, can pick up a cheque.

“I thought she went quite a good race and her driver Tony Cameron also said she went well and tried hard.”

Inconvenienced at the start when Leo Lincoln swung sideways, galloped briefly, Cameron also had to take hold late when Leo left her with little room against the markers.

“She lacks a yard of speed - when they accelerate she flounders a bit - but she winds up and whacks away.”

Lincoln Farms’ remaining runner, Colonel Lincoln ($19, $3.50) in the sixth race, lands yet another bad draw, which Green says isn’t helping him.

“He got hooked up last week in that melee down the back straight, which affected Sammy Lincoln, and once you lose that momentum it’s hard, particularly when you’re get back in the field.

“He’ll go an honest race but he really needs to lose a point or two so he can get a better draw or an easier field.”