In the 2020 calendar year King Of Swing had 13 starts for 10 wins and three seconds.
Ex Lincoln Farms stars King Of Swing and Line Up clean up at NSW awards
By Barry Lichter • 2 February 2021
Two Lincoln Farms educated pacers, King Of Swing and Line Up, took honours in the New South Wales Horse of the Year awards for the 2019-20 season.
King Of Swing, who did his early racing for Lincoln Farms and trainer Ray Green, was a unanimous winner of the aged entire/gelding award and the Horse of the Year title for his impeccable season when he won the Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup and Blacks A Fake Championship.
King Of Swing, who was the leading money winner with A$1,154,866, and fastest pacer of the season, clocking 1:48, was a relatively inexperienced two-year-old when Green took him to Australia for the 2017 Breeders’ Crown at Melton - he’d won four of his six starts but never tackled top company.
But the Rocknroll Hanover colt, perfectly rated by driver David Butcher, downed star Aussie juvenile Poster Boy and Colt Thirty One to bag the A$285,000 Final, pacing the 2240 metres in a sizzling mile rate of 1:55.2.
Bred by Breckon Farms, he was sold soon after to clients of leading Perth trainer Gary Hall.
In the 2020 calendar year he was completely dominant, racing 13 times for 10 wins and three seconds.
Line Up was a classy youngster at Lincoln Farms.Line Up won 70% of the votes for the three-year-old of the year, after bagging the New South Wales and Victoria Derbies.
He was also an early star for Lincoln Farms before his sale to leading Sydney owner Emilio Rosati.
The winner of three of his nine starts here, he finished third behind One Change and Copy That in the Three-year-old Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington.
The Bettor’s Delight colt, who has notched three wins and two seconds in five Australian starts, has had his troubles since and has not raced since beating Perfect Stride and Zeuss Bromac in the New South Wales Derby last March.
Other awards:
Two-year-old trotter: Aldebaran Ursula
Three-year-old trotter: Elite Stride
Two-year-old filly pacer: Anntonia
Two-year-old pacer: Tasty Delight
Three-year-old filly pacer : Jenden Strike
Aged trotter: Tough Monarch
Aged mare pacer : Bettor Enforce.
More news in Harness
Spiritual Bliss and Lincoln Maree add to Lincoln Farms’ gallery of Manawatu heroes
Video clue on why Lincoln Lover is tipped to go boldly fresh-up at Auckland on Friday night
A picture of Bliss but poor Harry’s arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets
Ultra-consistent Kevin Kline sold to the United States: Why Ray’s sorry to lose him
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Nathan’s comments
Thursday night at Manawatu
Race 4: Spiritual Bliss
6.25pm
“She won well on the first day but pulled very hard - Harry said his arms were that tired afterwards he couldn’t have lifted a 1kg dumb bell. She’s meeting a few nice ones here, up in grade, but she’s drawn better so you can’t count her out. She tries hard and really digs in.”
Race 7: Lincoln Downs
7.50pm
“She did everything right on Tuesday but she blew heavily afterwards and I think the heat got to her. She’s a place chance if she recovers OK.”
Race 8: Lincoln Maree
8.22pm
“She was jumping shadows on Tuesday and moves to the last race this time but she’s not the most genuine so I’m not holding my breath.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Lincoln Lover
6.28pm
“He hasn’t raced for three months but trialled really well. I pick he’s going to win one pretty quickly and, given he’s been running against the best two-year-olds in his previous preps, it should really be on Friday night. This lot of maidens aren’t in the same class and he’s as honest as they come, a tough little trier.”
Race 6: Debbie Lincoln
8.09pm
“She’s really up against it from the outside of the second line, with all the favourites drawn well. She has to be the unluckest animal on the planet. With her, what can go wrong will. Even at the best of times you need a reasonable draw to figure but drawn in the bondocks here she’ll need incredible luck.”
Race 8: Sugar Ray Lincoln
9.09pm
“He had a short break while some vet work was done but is in good trim. Yes, there are a few in here that are vastly higher rated but his formline says it all - it’s not often he doesn’t get a cheque.”
Race 8: Tyson
9.09pm
“He was a bit unlucky last week that he didn’t get to them a bit sooner otherwise I think he would have won. Maurice said he thought they’d come back to him more, going 2:39 speed, but his closing sectionals were easily the best in the race.”
Race 10: Prince Lincoln
10.09pm
“He’s grown into a beautiful horse, a quality looking colt, and who knows what he could be. He’ll obviously improve with the run but I still expect him to run well from his good draw. He trialled very well behind a good one.”
Race 10: Johnny Lincoln
10.09pm
“He’s drawn a bit awkwardly in seven, which gives Prince Lincoln the edge, but he too was making good ground in the workout.”
