Zachary Butcher is sitting still as Sugar Apple cruises to the line at Cambridge. PHOTO: Chanelle Lawson.
Easy as pie for Sugar Apple, but first-time owner was too busy in the kitchen to watch
By Barry Lichter • 13 August 2021
The one person most excited about Sugar Apple’s win at Cambridge on Thursday night missed seeing the race.
Matt Hooper, restaurant manager at Lone Star Alexandra Park, was too busy working to see the hollow win, his very first as an owner.
But the good news was relayed to him by Lone Star owner Trevor Casey, in whose colours the horse raced, and who scored his first winner in a Lincoln Farms’ partnership.
“Matt was very excited after watching a replay of the race,” Casey said. “The horse was far too good.”
Trevor Casey … Sugar Apple was his first winner with Lincoln Farms.Casey has shares in three Lincoln Farms’ youngsters, including Thursday’s Cambridge runner-up Nirvana Franco, and Next To Me, an unraced brother to his former tough pacer Maxim.
Sugar Apple, a half brother to Lincoln Farms’ Queensland Derby winner American Dealer, was never out of third gear in his win, Zachary Butcher sitting still in the cart as he cruised to a one and a half length win in a moderate 2:44.3.
From the moment Butcher took the Sweet Lou colt to the front, the result was never in doubt, said trainer Ray Green.
“It was a glorified workout for him,” said Green of Sugar Apple who only had to run 57.7 and 28.2 for his closing sectionals.
“Zac said he was never going to get beaten.”
Also in the Sugar Apple partnership with Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street are the familiar names of American Dealer’s owners Gordon Banks and Marc Hanover, Grant Dickey, Duncan Chisholm’s Chisso’s & Wack Syndicate, Ian Kedzlie and Canterbury’s Green Machine syndicate.
Earlier in the night Nirvana Franco ran a debut second, momentarily looking the winner when she took the passing lane in the run home, before being swamped by Tony Herlihy’s debutante A Little Side Hustle.
“She was very green,” Green said. “Zac said she didn’t really know what was going on.
“It will help her that she didn’t win. She has a lot to learn and it would have been too tough for her in the next grade.”
More news in Harness
Rivergirl Maggie’s donning tighter gear on Friday night to attract Auckland punters
Stable ‘oldie’ Leo Lincoln roars home for ninth win, thanks to peach of a drive by Zac
Maggie’s outgrown her pacifier and is ready to run a Homer on debut at Auckland on Friday
Ray: Copy Ten Four will go better left-handed at Cambridge on Thursday night. Roger that.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 3: Rivergirl Bella
7.22pm
“She’s knocking on the door and should get one soon. She moves out a little on the gate but has good early speed.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
8.20pm
“He made the most of a perfect pegs run last week but it will be harder for him this time, drawn the outside. But it’s only a small field and he’s racing well so he should go well again.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln Downs
6.50pm
“She should get out OK as she has a bit of speed but she hasn’t carried it very far in the past. I think she’s got stronger now but she hasn’t raced for nearly nine months so she’ll more than likely need the run.”
Race 4: Jessie Lincoln
6.50pm
“I don’t know what happened last time. She shouldn’t break like that again and, all going well, she’s the one to beat. You have to go on her previous run which was very good.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Maggie
7.21pm
“She put in a few steps on debut and Andre couldn’t let her go up the straight so we’ve tweaked her gear up a bit. She’ll go better this time.”
Race 8: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.49pm
“He’s racing honestly and driving well but it’s hard to see him sprinting past this lot.”
