Check out Lincoln Farms’ brat pack - how they’re bred and how they’re doing

Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green is busy educating his team of babies at Pukekohe and is quietly excited about the season ahead.

We saw class duxes Double Or Nothing, Perfect Stride and Man Of Action compete for the first time at the workouts last Saturday but in behind them are plenty more going through their paces.

And it’s certainly keeping Lincoln Farms’ business manager Ian Middleton busy placing keen owners into partnerships.

Check out the class of 2018 below and if one strikes your fancy contact Ian.

Billy Lincoln

Stable name: Buzz

Ray Green: “He’s a nice, big horse who has been a slow developer. He’s just back from a break and is jogging up.”

Breeding: Billy Lincoln is bred on the golden cross of Bettor’s Delight over a Christian Cullen mare.

In New Zealand, that cross has left more than 120 winners, with three of them millionaires - Lazarus, Highview Tommy and Ohoka Punter.

Billy Lincoln is out of Ginnie Moon, who raced only five times, but her mum Armbro Innocence won 13 races here before being exported to the United States.

Cover Boy Pretty

Stable name: Blair

Ray Green: “He’s still turned out. He’s a big horse who showed a bit of ability but we’ll give him another month out.”

Breeding: Cover Boy Pretty is by Alabar’s new sire He’s Watching, who was US two-year-old colt of the year when he went undefeated in eight starts.

Winner of the Meadowlands Pace at three in a world record 1:46.8, He’s Watching has been keenly sought after here where his oldest progeny are two.

He is out of an unraced mare in Jessica Rose who has left Buy Chevron Direct, winner of 17 races.

Double Or Nothing

Stable name: Louie

Ray Green: “He’s a beautifully balanced colt - he doesn’t wear an overcheck - and is a real character. He’s our great white hope. He ran a mile easily in under 2:08 last Saturday and I haven’t pushed him yet. He’s right up with the best Young Guns two-year-olds I’ve had.”

Breeding: Double Or Nothing was an impressive type even at the yearling sales when he cost Lincoln Farms $100,000.

He is by the much hyped new Woodlands Stud sire Sweet Lou out of an unraced Bettor’s Delight mare Love A Gamble.

His grand dam Stylish Sweetheart was one of the best youngsters of her era, winning seven races at two and 12 overall.

Stylish Sweetheart left 13-race winner Gomeo Romeo.

Double Or Nothing is a half brother to top pacer Let It Ride, who has won his last six starts in Australia for Tim Butt including two at Group I level.

Hampton Banner

Stable name: Surf

Ray Green: “He got sick early on and is still a bit of a weakling but he’s quite a nice horse. He’s still growing and will end up a big horse. He’s back jogging. He won’t be a Young Guns horse but he’ll race as a two-year-old.”

Breeding: Hampton Banner, by leading sire Bettor’s Delight, is a full brother to six-race winner Scarlett Banner who has really made his mark this season since he switched gaits and started trotting.

His dam Surf And Sand has also produced Broadway Banner who has won two races this season.

It is the family of former speedster Spirit Of Zeus (11 wins) and Star Of Bethlehem who left Stars And Stripes (15 wins) and star juvenile Light And Sound (11 wins).

Joey Lincoln

Stable name: Slip

Ray Green: “He was going really well but he couldn’t cope with the tempo we stepped him up to and started making breaks. He’s back jogging after a break but will need a bit of time to find himself.”

Breeding: Joey Lincoln is by Woodlands’ new sire Sweet Lou, whose stock are getting rave reviews both here and in America.

Already Sweet Lou has produced the highest priced weanling, $120,000, at the 2018 All Aged Sale and an outstanding yearling who sold for $150,000.

Joey is out of the two-race winning Bettor’s Delight mare Bettabe Fast.

Larry Lincoln

Stable name: Yolo

Ray Green: “He’s a neat little horse but he went a bit sore and when we X-rayed him we found he had immature, soft bones. He’s shown plenty but we’ll leave him out until the New Year.”

Breeding: Larry Lincoln is by Woodlands Stud’s exciting new sire Sweet Lou whose first runners here will be this season’s two-year-olds.

Sweet Lou retired with earnings of US$3,478,894 and a best mile time of 1:47 and is already making his mark in the breeding barn in the United States.

He is out of the unraced mare Yolo.

His great grand dam Zenola Star left quality pacers Zenad (14 wins) and Zenola Seelster (12 wins).

Line Up

Stable name: Harry

Ray Green: “He’s a lovely mover who has shown good ability but he started doing things wrong when the pressure went on. He’s back jogging now but isn’t a Young Guns horse. He could be a late two-year-old.”

Breeding: Line Up has good looks and an even better pedigree.

He is by champion stallion Bettor’s Delight out of the Beach Towel mare Beach Parade. That makes him a full brother to crack 1:51.3 mare Partyon, winner of 17 of her 31 starts and $658,000 in stakes.

Man Of Action

Stable name: Ramsey

Ray Green: “He should be a Young Guns horse. He’s a lovely horse, big and strong, and a real natural.”

Breeding: Man Of Action is a Woodlands Stud product through and through - by leading sire Bettor’s Delight out of their mare Grace Way, the winner of four races.

He is a full brother to excellent pacer Forgotten Highway, a candidate for November’s New Zealand Cup, and a half brother to Lincoln Farms’ own Make Way, winner of two races and a close fourth in last season’s Harness Jewels.

His grand dam Pacing Grace won eight races and left All U Need Is Faith and Pacing Major, who is still winning in the United States.

Moonlighting

Stable name: Rachel

Ray Green: “She’s turned out ‘til the New Year. She’s a good pacer but is only a small filly and isn’t an early runner.”

Breeding: Moonlighting, owned by Woodlands Stud, is by Mach Three out of Clare De Lune, making her a full sister to Lincoln Farms’ outstanding pacer and now sire Sir Lincoln.

Moonlighting’s sister Lincoln’s Megastar won six of her 23 starts and half sister Lincoln’s Keepsake won four of only 15 starts.

Sir Lincoln needs no introduction. Winner of 21 of his 57 starts and $663,000 in stakes, he won the Harness Jewels and Sires’ Stakes Final at three and the Auckland Cup.

Perfect Stride

Stable name: Stride

Ray Green: “He’s a beautiful animal, an immaculate pacer, and would be up with the best young ones I’ve had. I haven’t pushed his buttons yet and hopefully he carries on improving. There’s nothing between him and Double Or Nothing at the moment.”

Breeding: A $190,000 yearling, Perfect Stride will be raced by big Australian owners Emilio and Mary Rosati.

He is bred on the golden cross by champion sire Bettor’s Delight out of the Christian Cullen mare Chicago Blues.

His full brother Chicago Bull has won 39 of this 60 starts and A$1.8 million in stakes, and has just arrived in New Zealand to contest the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

Hilary Barry (ex Princess Isabel)

Stable name: Finnie

Ray Green: “She’s goes well and is a real tradesman who does everything right. She is training down really well and worked a mile in 2:10 the other day. She’s probably a Young Guns filly.”

Breeding: By champion sire Bettor’s Delight, Hilary Barry is out of Finiamo, making her a full sister to seven-race winner Glenisthebettor.

Finiamo won one race in a limited career but her half sister Livingontheinterest won 20 of her 48 starts, taking a mile record of 1:53.1 in Australia.

Sir Tiger

Stable name: Tiger

Ray Green: “He could be the surprise packet, he’s developing into quite a nice horse. He was a bit unco-ordinated last time in but has come a long way this prep. He’s a real colt, a bit of a handful. They’d like to geld him but I don’t want to. He’s training down really well.”

Breeding: By Lincoln Farm’s own stallion Sir Lincoln, Sir Tiger is just the third foal out of Tigers Delight, whose dam Tigerish won 15 races and $491,000 for Pam and Lindsay Turner.

Lincoln Farms raced the best of Tigerish’s progeny, Justa Tiger, who won nine races.

Sir Lincoln had a terrific winners-to-starters ratio last season, with 16 individual winners from just 39 starters.

Super Easy

Stable name: Scooter

Ray Green: “He’s certainly got the ability, he just needs to get a bit stronger and more co-ordinated. He was getting down to good sectionals last time in but started doing things wrong. He’s not mentally there yet, still playing around, but he goes well.”

Breeding: By successful sire Art Major, Super Easy is a full brother to former Kiwi pacer Alleluia, who has now won 33 races and $520,000 in Australia.

He is also a half brother to Kingsman who has won his last two starts at Gloucester Park in Perth.

His dam Shy Annie was unraced but is out the well bred American mare Sudden Urge II.

Tiger’s Watching

Stable name: Pam

Ray Green: “She’s huge on ability, she can fly, but we have to be careful with her or she could get a little hot. We’ll school her down quietly. She’s a big filly who has popped up again in the bum. We just need to be patient with her. If we did things wrong she could turn into a runaway.”

Breeding: By Woodlands’ sire American Ideal, Tiger’s Watching is out of an unraced mare in Tigerzureal but her grand dam Tigerish was very speedy and won 15 races and nearly half a million dollars.

Lincoln Farms raced Tigerzureal’s first foal, Linc’s Tiger, who won one race here before being sold to Perth where he has now won eight races.

This is only Tigerzureal’s second foal.

Tommy Lincoln

Stable name: Timber

Ray Green: “He’s a big rangy guy we gelded. He’s a nice pacer but another who could get a little hot if we pushed him too soon. He’s not a Young Guns horse but he’ll come along a bit later.”

Breeding: Out of the Falcon Seelster mare Tania Tandias, Tommy Lincoln is by Woodlands Stud’s successful sire American Ideal.

He is a half brother to Lincoln Farms’ Lincoln Road, who won four races from only 13 starts before his recent sale to Queensland, and to Lincoln’s Girl, who has won two of her five starts for Lincoln Farms.

His grand dam Tandia’s Courage was a prolific producer for Bromac Lodge, her best Tatijana Bromac (8 wins), Tandias Bromac (14 wins) and Te Amo Bromac (7 wins).