Boy oh boy, Line Up just keeps getting better - and Green tips he could be the best of them all

Trainer Ray Green will line up eight of Lincoln Farms’ two-year-olds at Auckland on Friday night - but the best of them all could be at home in his box.

Bettor’s Delight colt Line Up again showed how rapidly he is improving when he ran Zeuss Bromac to a neck in a sizzling trial at Pukekohe today.

Green described the colt’s performance as “enormous” as he came from the back to all but reel in the winner in 1:59.5, easily the fastest mile run by the babies at Pukekohe this season.

Driver Andrew Drake restrained Line Up from the outside of the gate and was last and at least a dozen lengths from the two leaders a lap from home.

But Drake started a move on the colt 650 metres from home and he was really getting into his work when he had to be visibly checked 400 out to avoid running into the back of struggling southerner Woman In Gold.

Line Up … keeps improving with every run.When Drake released Line Up three wide entering the run home he really accelerated and was cutting down Zeuss Bromac with every stride.

“Andrew never moved on him and he said the horse was doing it all by himself,” says Green.

“He didn’t even pull the plugs. He’s an extremely nice horse and could be the best of them all.

“He’s really coming to it now. In the last six weeks he’s developed from a very green horse into a serious horse.’’

It was a dramatic improvement on Line Up’s previous trial 10 days earlier when he showed real talent but paced roughly several times, prompting Green to tighten his hopples by one hole.

“He’s the real deal and could be our Mercedes. That was the most impressive trial of all the two-year-olds we’ve had out this season and Andrew got him to run 56 and a bit for his last 800 metres.’’

The 1:59.5 trial was 2.6 seconds faster than the previous quickest mile of 2:02.1 run by Cloud Break in Line Up’s previous outing on January 5.

Line Up, who cost $130,000 as a yearling, is bred to be good being out of the Beach Towel mare Beach Parade, making him a full brother to crack 1:51.3 mare Partyon, winner of 17 of her 31 starts and $658,000 in stakes.

Line Up, unqualified until today, was ineligible to race at Auckland on Friday but Green says he will be aimed at the next Young Guns heat at Auckland on February 8.

Not that Green needed any more runners this week - he lines up a record six in the colts and geldings’ race, and two in the Young Guns Fillies’ Heat.

Zeuss Bromac strides out for trainer Zachary Butcher.Today’s winner Zeuss Bromac, part-owned and trained by Lincoln Farms’ No.1 driver Zachary Butcher, showed he’s also going to be an early contender with his professional display.

Stoked out early from five, Zeuss Bromac charged round the first bend three wide to lead before Butcher took a trail behind southerner Dr Susan.

When he moved out to challenge turning for home he quickly set up a three length lead and kept running to the line.

The Bettor’s Delight colt is the first foal of Zeta Bromac who had a brilliant, if short, career when trained by Geoff Small.

The filly racked up five wins and three seconds from only nine starts in 2014 before being struck down by injury on the eve of an Australian campaign.