Obadiah Dragon (Nathan Delany) outfinishes Bettor Grunter on Tuesday. PHOTO: Jack McKenzie.
Dragon breathes fire again at Manawatu and there look to be more wins in store
By Barry Lichter • 13 March 2024
Obadiah Dragon’s owners know he’s no champion but the way he scored at Manawatu on Tuesday suggested he has more wins in store.
And though he steps up in class and distance there on Thursday night Ian Middleton and his mates Ian Harris and Paul Humphries are looking forward to seeing how he fares.
Middleton, Lincoln Farms’ business manager, was taken by the toughness Obadiah Dragon showed to overcome a tough trip, back and wide then forced to improve even wider round the home turn.
So to outfinish 90-start veteran Bettor Grunter by a neck and record the fastest of five races run over 2000 metres on the night wasn’t the worst effort.
His 2:29.4 clocking in the rating 35 to 44 field was 0.8 of a second faster than Avenger ran in the rating 44 to 49 event and easily quicker than the tightest class race of the night when now 16-race winner Superstar Legend did best in a 2:34.1 four-horse walk-fest.
Nathan Delany brings Obadiah Dragon back. PHOTO: Jack McKenzie.“He had a terrible trip and was still good enough to still get the job done,” Middleton said. “On that, I don’t see why he couldn’t win a few more races.
“Ray (Green) always said he was a nice little horse who would win races given time and, while he ain’t no champion, he’s a much better horse this time in.
“He settles well so I don’t think an extra 500 metres will worry him on Thursday.”
Middleton said while his partners were thrilled with the win, following on from his 15-length annihilation on the course last November, the three-year-old Fear The Dragon colt’s future probably lay in Australia.
“He’s on the market, like all our horses, and if he’s not sold we’ll more than likely send him to Brisbane. I think he’s got enough speed to stick with them.”
Driver Nathan Delany gets barrier five on Thursday night, one further out, and meets a useful field of rating 46 to 52 horses.
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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.”
