Tony Herlihy salutes on Simply Sam after he beat Zarias at Auckland last July. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.
Class drop, small field, Zac on, everything points to Simply Sam scoring at Cambridge
By Barry Lichter • 31 May 2023
Simply Sam’s ordinary looking formline disguises how well he’s going and against weaker opposition at Cambridge on Friday night he’s a terrific winning chance.
A rating 65 pacer on a R51 front, Simply Sam starts from a 25 metre handicap over the sprint trip of 2200 metres, never an easy task, but check out just how well he’s been racing.
In five runs this prep Simply Sam has:
* Finished just 1.6 lengths fourth at Auckland last week after being parked for the last 1300 metres in a much stronger field behind Chimichurri, Magic Four and Montana DJ.
* Run sixth at Auckland on April 28, rated a certainty beaten by Green when he tried to mount a run from last on the home turn, meeting roadblocks wherever he went, but still running the best equal closing sectionals in the race. He finished hard on the back of runner-up Mr Kaplan in a slick 2:40.2, driver Blair Orange not even activating the deafeners.
* Finished ninth at Auckland on April 21 from the outside of the second row, forced to make his run three then four wide and unable to make ground on the leaders in the straight, winner Bach clocking a slick 2:39.2.
* Run third in his last appearance at Cambridge on April 14 when he started from a 20 metre handicap in the Country Cup (2700m). He was forced four wide when mounting his run and came even wider on the home turn, charging down the stretch to be beaten only a head and a neck.
* Run 10th first-up, against the cup horses at Cambridge on April 6 when he led the Waikato Flying Mile field, absorbing huge pressure before weakening behind Self Assured, Copy That, Akuta and Old Town Road in a 1:52 sizzle.
The winner of six races, Simply Sam stands out against his rivals on Friday night, Green declaring him hard fit.
“I think he’s a good winning chance. I didn’t want him put in the race too soon last week because he hadn’t raced for a while but I think Blair (Orange) thought they were going too slow and he ended up parked for the last 1300 metres.
”He’s well down in class here and, even though he’s on 25 metres, it’s only a small field.”
Top tactician Zachary Butcher takes the reins on Simply Sam for only the second time.
Butcher will also be in the hot seat on Green’s own horse My Copy who looks the next best chance of Lincoln Farms’ five starters.
The four-year-old half-brother of stable star Copy That has endured a string of poor draws in his last five starts, with 11, 10, 12, 10 and six.
Green is confident Butcher can get My Copy out fast from the pole on Friday night and stay handy in the running.
“He’s going good races with no luck and looks a chance.”
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.”
