Inside the final 200 metres and Make Way, arrowed, is under real pressure in last Saturday’s New South Wales Derby heat.
Coughs explain Make Way’s lacklustre performance in derby heat at Menangle
By Barry Lichter • 25 February 2019
When Make Way felt under pressure 600 metres from home in last Saturday’s New South Wales Derby heat at Menangle, driver Anthony Butt started to suspect something might be amiss.
And just 10 minutes after the race he was proven right when Lincoln Farms’ colt started coughing.
“He felt good all the way until the 600 when he came under pressure, which is not like him,’’ says Butt.
Make Way, who travelled four deep on the markers, eventually weakened to beat only one home.
“He coughed a few times after the race and again yesterday morning so he’s obviously picked up some bug.
“I started treating him with antibiotics but it’s obviously nothing serious as when I put him out into his paddock today he was bucking and kicking.’’
Butt says he’s seen the same scenario a hundred times before - a horse seemingly bright and well underperforms, whatever is brewing coming out only through the stress of a race.
Anthony Butt with a vizored Make Way to keep the flies at bay.“I could be just the time of the year when there’s a mix of seasons. It’s been funny weather, hot one minute then not.
“And if there’s something in their lungs it really affects their performance and they can be five or six lengths down on their best. And at that level you’ve only got to be down a couple of percent and you’re out of play.’’
Butt says Make Way’s being off colour might have made little difference anyway given the way the race unfolded.
He was starting to think as far as 800 metres out that Make Way was in trouble, with the frenetic speed of the race and the favourites on the front end while he was buried away on the markers.
Butt’s fears that Make Way’s gate speed might not be enough to hold up from the pole at the awkward 2400 metre starting point on the bend proved well founded.
“He got out of the gate really well but couldn’t hold those horses who were going faster out wider.’’
First Max Delight then Petes Big Jim crossed Make Way and he was history when the second favourite Lochinvar Art rolled to the top, putting him four deep.
Lochinvar Art ended up leading all the way and clocking a mile rate of 1:54.5 for the 2400 metres, a pace too fast even for the All Stars’ unbackable hot favourite I’m Anothermasterpiece who came out of the one-one to sit parked at the bell and stopped to fourth, missing out on the final.
But if you think that was fast, Emma Stewart’s Bettor’s Delight colt Demon Delight broke all stopwatches when he ran down Muscle Factory in the third derby heat to clock a mile rate of 1:52.7, scoring by more than eight metres in 2:48.
His sectionals of 29.4, 28.5, 27.4 and 27.5 saw him smash Smolda’s previous world record for 2400 metres.
“They’re the best of the best and they were flying all night,’’ says Butt.
“We’ll find another good race for him as soon as he tells us he’s back to his best. They normally bounce back quickly after antibiotics and I expect it will only be another couple of weeks.’’
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.”
