Cambridge dead-heat gives Andre his 300 and more time for brave Leo Lincoln to furnish

Even driver Andre Poutama thought he’d been beaten when Leo Lincoln and Cassius Clyde hit the line locked together at Cambridge on Thursday night.

Looking acoss at the Steve and Amanda Telfer-trained hulk, Poutama feared he’d been nosed out of a brave front-running win.

But the photo finish camera revealed a dead-heat - great for both driver and horse.

For Poutama, it marked a milestone 300 wins in the cart, in his seventh season as an open driver.

For Leo Lincoln it was a pleasant brake on his advance up the ratings - under the rules he will remain a maiden.

It was just Leo’s fourth race night start and Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green believes it won’t hurt him to be able to get further experience in the lower grade while he continues to hone his craft.

“Dead-heating was a good result for him,” Green said. “And if he can contiunue to improve in the coming weeks I’d be very happy.

“He was a bit gormless when he started, slow on the uptake. But he’s starting to come to it and he’s been training down well in the last couple of months.”

Cassius Clyde ranges alongside Leo Lincoln, inner, close to home. PHOTO: Ange Bridson.Not that Green ever doubted Leo Lincoln’s ability.

“He’s got plenty of speed and I took a share in him myself because he was training so well.

“He just needs to get a bit stronger to be really effective.”

An Art Major gelding of average size, Leo Lincoln still showed plenty of guts to dead-heat on Thursday night.

Burned off the gate to cross Messenger Buoy rounding the first turn, Leo Lincoln looked to be in for a comfortable win when he shot two lengths clear into the home straight.

But, despite veering a little wide when mounting his challenge, the favourite Cassius Clyde powered home to share the honours right on the post.

“Andre thought he’d been beaten but said Leo tried really hard and dug right in up the straight. He thought it was a pretty good run.

“Who knows how far he’ll go? I can’t see him being a Sires Stakes horse at this stage but he’s still improving.”

The dead-heat, in a relatively sedate 2:46 for the mobile 2200 metres, home in 57.9 and 27.9, saw Leo Lincoln earn $4230 for Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, their business manager Ian Middleton, Glenn Cotterill, his mum Ann and Phil Kelly.

A $27,000 weanling buy at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka 2021 sale, Leo Lincoln hails from the same family as Alta Intrigue who racked up four wins and 10 seconds for Lincoln Farms and was placed in the 2017 Northern Derby behind Raukapuka Ruler and Ultimate Machete before his sale to Western Australia were he won another 10 races.