Just Wing It has Ball Of Art, outer, covered in his first appearance at Cambridge in March. PHOTO: FokusPhotography.
Climb on board Just Wing It - all the ducks are lined up for Cambridge on Sunday
By Barry Lichter • 27 April 2019
Just Wing It has so many things going for him at Cambridge on Sunday don’t be surprised to see him touch a short price.
- He brings excellent Auckland form to a field of mostly Cambridge and Central Districts performers.
- He won on his first look at the track back in early March.
- Trainer Ray Green says he goes better left-handed.
- A win would be penalty free, it being a junior drivers’ race.
- He would earn a $1750 bonus for his second win at Cambridge in one season.
- He showed in his last start at Alexandra Park that he is right on top of his game, running third and clocking 1:55.7 on mile night - despite a torrid trip.
Just Wing It had every reason to weaken out of it on April 12 after starting from the outside of the gate, a near mission impossible over a mile at Auckland.
Forced to snag back to the rear, driver David Butcher found himself five back on the outer.
Andrew Drake … drives Just Wing It on Sunday.Tagging on to the back of Adieu Flirt at the 700m, he enjoyed a brief cover three wide until pacing roughly at the 500 and losing his spot to eventual runner-up Ball Of Art.
That saw him pushed five wide turning for home, yet he still powered up and closed strongly, until flattening out 100 metres from home.
His effort to finish just one and a quarter lengths from winner Crackared was full or merit, as he clocked by far the fastest last 800 metres in the race - 57.4, compared with Crackared’s 59.3 and Ball Of Art’s 58.1.
The run continued a sequence of solid efforts at Auckland since joining Green’s Lincoln Farms’ stable, form which reads much better than his opposition.
Sunday will be the first time Just Wing It has attempted 2700 metres but the way he finished resolutely in his first win at Cambridge to beat Ball Of Art suggested stable junior Andrew Drake can get another 500 metres out of him.
The unknown quantity in the field is southerner Ideal Rule whose game last start third over 2600 metres on a slushy Addington track gives him some claims.
An Art Major four-year-old, raced by Australian Merv Butterworth, Just Wing It is a younger half brother to Central Districts cups king The Night Hawk who has bagged the Hawera Cup, Taranaki Cup, Manawatu Cup and Palmerstonian in recent months for Scott Dickson.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
