Better draw and tighter hopples but Debbie Lincoln’s still paying 100-to-one in the Oaks
By Barry Lichter • 19 November 2025
Co-trainer Ray Green has tightened up Debbie Lincoln’s hopples and is tipping her as a 100-to-one surprise packet in Friday night’s $225,000 New Zealand Pacing Oaks at Addington.
Debbie Lincoln’s chances in the Nevele R Fillies’ Final last start plummeted when her early attack stuttered as she started pacing roughly at 57.6 km/hr, faster than any other horse over the first 180 metres.
“She hadn’t raced left-handed for a while and they were flying early. Maurice (McKendry) said she put in a few steps when crossing over from her wide draw so he had to nurse her.
“Blair Orange, on Winelight, was trying to let him go but when he saw her flapping her legs, he decided she wasn’t a good one to follow.”
Debbie Lincoln still ran the second fastest first 400 metres in 26.74, three wide, where she was stuck for the remainder of the 1980 metre race.
“It was unfortunate she had to cop such a tough trip but she showed she is competitive - not many in the race could have done what she did. Maurice said if he’d pushed her out, she would have finished a bit closer but he did the right thing and sat on her.”
Approaching the first turn in the Nevele R Fillies’ Final and Debbie Lincoln paces roughly and misses getting into the running line as driver Maurice McKendry has to take hold.Debbie Lincoln finished only eight lengths from Celestial Sea, despite covering 11 metres further than the winner, and just one place behind second favourite Winelight, who was inside her throughout.
“I was pretty pleased with the way she went,” Green said. “It was a bitter, sweet result as I know she’s up with the best of them.”
Green has pulled up his filly’s hopples in training this week, to keep her on a more even keel, and says there have been no dramas.
“I can’t fault her. She recovered quickly from that last run and looks great. She’s no 100-to-one shot. All she needs is a bit of luck.
“There’s no standout in the field. They’re all much of a muchness and, whichever one gets the best trip, will be the hardest to beat. It’s all about the trip.”
From two on the second row this time, rather than wide on the front, Debbie Lincoln could get that much needed trip, following out the go-forward duo of Beside Me and Carter Dalgety.
It’s an opportunity new driver Peter Ferguson is sure to pounce on if it materialises, Fergy stepping in for McKendry who is staying in the north for a good book of drives.
“Ferg was coming down anyway to drive Crackerjack in Trotting Derby and I’m sure they can surprise a few.
“We know Debbie can go enough and I don’t think she’d need to improve to be a good chance.
“She’s fast and tough, so the 2600 metres won’t hold any fears. I think she’ll go pretty well.”
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Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
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.”
