C’mon Tommy, you can do it! Sonya’s got good vibes for Menangle on Saturday night
By Barry Lichter • 14 February 2020
Another top five finish at Menangle on Saturday night and Make Way can qualify for the $200,000 Chariots Of Fire, says ace driver Anthony Butt.
Lincoln Farms’ little warrior with the stable name of Tommy lines up in the A$50,000 Paleface Adios Stakes (mobile 1609m), the final chance to force his place in next week’s big four-year-old finale.
And trainer Sonya Smith says she’s rapt with how Make Way came through his first tilt at the big guns last week when he powered home for fifth in the Hondo Grattan behind superstar Self Assured, clocking a spirited 1:51.01.
“Sonya gets the vibes and if she’s happy, I’m happy,” said Butt. “Even though he ran fast time he didn’t have a hard run last week and he’s bounced through it really well.
“I expect he’ll go every bit as well again.”
Butt fired Make Way out of the gate last week from six, the same draw he gets on Saturday night, but settled one place further back than he wanted, one out and two back.
“That one place makes a big difference. If I’d been one-one or in the trail he could have run a place. They can all come home in 26 so it’s hard to make up even a length.”
How they finished last week, Make Way running a brave fifth in 1:51.01.Butt’s assessment is spot on. The official times show the first eight home last week all broke 27 seconds. And Make Way’s final sectionals of 54.9 and 26.6 compared very favourably to those of the winner, Self Assured clocking 54.75 and 26.45.
Butt believes Make Way is actually best suited the faster they go - and the opening quarter last week was a brutal 25.8.
But he says it’s the second quarter which is the key, the extent to which they back off determining the eventual time of the race and whether back runners can get into it. Last week the speed slowed to 29.5 before they ripped home in 28.5 and 26.5.
“He was left a little flat-footed round the last bend but his last 200 metres was really good. The faster they go the better he’ll be.”
Butt says while Make Way is drawn awkwardly in six again there’s a bit more speed inside him in one, two and three, so he’ll go forward and try to slot in somewhere.
With the fastest fifth in the Hondo Grattan and Paleface Adios earning the 10th and final berth for the Chariots, Make Way can seal a place by running fifth again.
And if he can get to the starting line then Butt believes, with a good draw, he’d be a chance of getting some of the money.
“The draw makes such a big difference in these races because he’s racing at such a tough level.”
There’s no Self Assured to beat this time but the favourite, the Emma Stewart-trained Hurricane Harley, was best of Lochinvar Art and Self Assured’s rivals last start in the whirlwind 1:48.6 Four-Year-Old Bonanza at Melton.
Make Way races at 10.50pm NZ time at Menangle on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Cheapie Johnny Lincoln a “proper” racehorse who can foot it with the Million bluebloods
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
