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Lincoln Lou (Andre Poutama) posts an easy all-the-way win at Alexandra Park in February. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.

Consisent little Lincoln Lou sold to Western Australia to join fellow ex-Kiwis

Lincoln Lou will be scratched from Friday night’s $50,000 Sires’ Stakes Semi-final at Cambridge and continue his career in Western Australia.

The speedy Sweet Lou three-year-old is headed for the stable of up-and-coming trainer Michael Young who is enjoying a great run with former Kiwi pacers.

And Lincoln Farms’ business manager Ian Middleton believes Lincoln Lou will really thrive under the racing conditions in Perth.

“His advantage over there will be his speed - he will thrive round the corners on their tight half-mile tracks.

“He was a really good little horse for the partnership but we couldn’t guarantee he’d win the money we got for him.”

Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street took in a big team to race the colt, the Excell Syndicate, the Green Machine Racing Syndicate, Phil Kelly, David Turner, Brad Baine, Alana Rabbitt, Margaret Rabbitt and the Athenry Syndicate. Middleton ended up with a share too, joining Peter Winchester, Ric Horsfall and Simon Philip in the Cantabrians Plus One syndicate on the death of their mate Trevor Luke.

Michael Young celebrates another winner in Perth. PHOTO: Gloucester Park.Michael Young celebrates another winner in Perth. PHOTO: Gloucester Park.A $40,000 yearling buy, Lincoln Lou won prizemoney of $70,078 in his 21 starts, showing real consistency with three wins, five seconds and three thirds.

“Another few wins and he’ll be up against the open horses here so it makes sense to sell him,” Middleton said.

Lincoln Lou won back-to-back races at Alexandra Park in February, dead-heating in the second one. But he found the going hard in his latest assignments, when sixth behind Rubira in the Alabar Classic and seventh to Marketplace in the Harness Millions.

Young, 36, is in only his sixth season training but has already notched 398 winners, 221 at Gloucester Park headquarters. From 296 runners this season he has recorded 73 wins.

His recent Kiwi buys who are racking up the wins include the former Peter and Vaughan Blanchard pacers Hugotastic (two from two) and Acushla Machree (two wins from five starts), as well as the ex-Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained Montana DJ (two wins) and Jeremy Young’s Penny Black who has won nine of her 16 starts there, her first six in a row. All four are racing at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Our runners this week

Friday night at Auckland

What’s Up The Hill.

Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Nathan Delany

Nathan’s comments

Tuesday twilight at Manawatu

Race 3: Onyx Shard
5.09pm

“She’s working really well and, from the good draw, hopefully she can run a drum. The field’s not that much harder than the one she beat last time at Manawatu (when parked for the last lap).”

Race 3: Kevin Kline
5.09pm

“We’re very happy with him - he’s come back a better horse. He went well at Auckland last start and is working well. We’ll be looking to go forward from the gate and hopefully get a gun run through behind Onyx Shard. On ability, he’s the better chance of the two.”

Race 4: Leo Lincoln
5.39pm

“He stepped like a bullet in his first go from a stand here in March. I thought he’d do the same on the second day but he galloped. We’ve got an overcheck on and hopple shorteners on Tuesday so he should make a good beginning. If he can step and lead, then maybe take a trail, he should be hard to beat. He likes it down there where the track is quite soft.”

Nathan Delany

Nathan’s comments

Thursday night at Manawatu

Race 3: Onyx Shard
6.04pm

“I thought I had Kevin Kline covered on Tuesday when we got to the straight because she was really travelling but he kicked away on us. It would be nice if she can get out of the gate as well again - she has good gate speed - and, if she does, she can get some of it again.”

Race 3: Kevin Kline
6.04pm

“He was too good for them on Tuesday, thanks to a great Fergy drive, and he’s in the same field again this time. The extra distance and wide draw shouldn’t make much of a difference and he’s our best of the night.”

Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.02pm

“He’ll be hard to beat again if he steps like he did on Tuesday. The 10 metre handicap shouldn’t stop him. I think he’s even better if he follows something and the extra 500 metres isn’t a worry.”

Whales Harness