Fickle spring weather will decide the chances on Saturday but Father Lenihan loves it wet

The unpredictable spring weather will have a big bearing on how the Lincoln Farms’ team fares at Awapuni on Saturday, says trainer Lisa Latta.

“It’s pouring down here now and there’s a bit more predicted on Saturday morning,’’ Latta said on Thursday morning.

“If that comes, Father Lenihan will be hard to beat in the last race. He’s really thriving at the moment with this spring weather and rain every second or third day.’’

Father Lenihan comes into the rating 72 1550 metre race with some excellent form behind him, including a last-start third in a very strong field at Trentham behind highly rated stablemate Lincoln Falls.

“He’s had no luck with barrier draws and the trend continues on Saturday where he has drawn the outside.

“But he has good gate speed so we will look to go forward.’’

Lisa Latta … Miss Oahu needs good ground.While more rain would enhance the chances of Father Lenihan it would basically extinguish those of Miss Oahu in the opening race and significantly hamper Johnny Lincoln in race five.

“I wouldn’t run Miss Oahu if the track got worse than a dead 6. She’s a real Pins and likes the better tracks.’’

Check out Miss Oahu’s form and you’ll see her two wins have come on good 2 and dead 4 tracks and she’s been down the track in all five runs on slow or worse ground.

When she resumed at Wanganui at the start of the month the ground was as bad as she wanted, a dead 6, but she still ran a useful third.

And Latta believes she could get some of the money on the right footing.

“I’d expect a bold run from her, especially with the one draw to use.

“I’ve chosen to start her up a rating band to get some weight relief and she gets in with only 54.5kg. She has really improved since her first-up run and her coat looks far better now.’’

Johnny OK on dead ground

Latta says while Johnny Lincoln is not as his best on off tracks, if the conditions stayed in the dead range as they were earlier today, he would be OK.

“He’s fit and it’s not much of a field.’’

Johnny Lincoln was very brave at his last start when over 2400 metres he led all the way down the Trentham straight, collared very late by a nose and a short head.

It continued a consistent run of form that has seen the six-year-old run in the top five 18 times in his 27-start career, though he has saluted only once.

“He’s drawn one from the outside but if he can get any luck in the running he’ll be very hard to beat. I am very happy with him and he has trained on well.’’

Two-year-old Platinum Touch looks to be up against it in the second race, with plenty of winning trial form at the top of the book.

“It would have been nicer if she had a better draw but it’s a chance to kick her off and she’ll appreciate the rain.’’

Platinum Touch ran last of five in her trial at Waverley on December 11.