Champagne corks all but popping as American Dealer gets a taste of Krug
By Barry Lichter • 4 September 2020
On a night when Lincoln Farms’ runners excelled at Alexandra Park, a race which it didn’t win, the Sires’ Stakes heat, left connections most excited about what’s to come.
A spectacular win by Copy That and a long odds upset by Tommy Lincoln headlined the night but it was the efforts of American Dealer and Captain Nemo which promised so much.
With races worth more than half a million dollars coming up, trainer Ray Green was thrilled to see little prizefighter American Dealer run the country’s best three-year-old to a head.
“For a fleeting second I thought we were going to nail Krug, but he was just a little too good,” said Green.
American Dealer, who burned from the pole to hold the lead, before succumbing to Krug 700 metres from home, rallied strongly up the lane for David Butcher, his challenge coming up just short in a blistering 1700 metres run at a mile rate of 1:54.4.
Green is now eyeing up two two-year-old features that were postponed last season before tackling the three-year-old Sires Stakes races.
The agenda is:
- The $140,000 Two-year-old Sires’ Stakes Final at Auckland on September 18 and the
- The $200,000 NZB Harness Million on September 25.
- A $20,000 Sires’ Stakes heat at Cambridge on October 15 and
- The $156,000 Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on November 10.
Green says American Dealer’s run proved a real buzz for his new American owners Gordon Banks and Marc Hanover, hiding away from the coronavirus pandemic in Miami.
“The good thing about him is he has such a great constitution and can cop the racing. Some can’t cope and after a while start waining.
“But he’s out there now galloping round his paddock and bouncing around.”
Green’s confidence in Captain Nemo was only strengthened when he fought strongly in the run home for third, albeit three lengths from the top pair.
Also being aimed at the same features, Green says the Captaintreacherous colt is still on the up.
“I suspect come derby time we’ll see him at his best. The extra distance will be right up his alley.
“I’ve always liked him. He’s a lovely, big horse who’s probably used a lot of energy growing and filling out. He’s never been as strong as he could have been but he’s toughening up now.”
Tommy Lincoln dashes late to grab Major Jellis at Alexandra Park. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Tommy Lincoln’s $20 win didn’t come as any great surprise to Green.
Forced to be driven quietly from the inside of the second row, Tommy Lincoln travelled well three back on the pegs before unleashing strongly in the run home.
“He won well. I liked the way he was travelling into the corner, thought he’d be right in it, and the gap came at the right time.”
Tommy Lincoln reeled in Major Jellis and Magilligan Point to score by three-quarters of a length in a very fast 2:38.4 for the 2200 metres.
“He’s a nice solid horse who’ll end up in open class but I doubt he’ll be super competitive when he gets there.
“Last night proved that, at the higher level, he can’t be driven like a toe rag all the time.”
More news in Harness
Prince Lincoln spearheads record-sized team for Lincoln Farms at Cambridge on Friday
Ray cautions punters with no lead this time for Jekyll and Hyde colt Prince Lincoln
Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
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.”
