Billy Lincoln (Hayden Barnes) notched three wins and three seconds from only seven starts in Queensland. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
First Lincoln’s Girl, now Billy - the Americans’ appetite for Lincoln Farms horses grows
By Barry Lichter • 26 November 2019
Improving three-year-old Billy Lincoln has been sold to the United States - and his Marburg trainer Al Barnes admits he’s sorry to see the horse go.
The Bettor’s Delight three-year-old will follow in the footsteps of another Barnes graduate, Lincoln’s Girl, to the same American owner who has enjoyed three wins and a third with the mare since her arrival.
Billy Lincoln is headed for the New Jersey barn of former Australian Tahn Camilleri who races predominantly in the Northeast and has had recent success with Breeders’ Crown elimination winner Dancing Lou.
Billy Lincoln left New Zealand in September worth very little with a zero from four formline but made an instant hit in Queensland where he has racked up three wins and three seconds from only seven starts, his sole failure when all at sea on the tricky Redcliffe track.
Al Barnes … Billy promising but you couldn’t turn down the money.And now he has fetched a healthy five figures, a sum which Barnes says, despite the horse’s promise, you simply couldn’t turn down.
“In another three months I reckon he’ll be a different horse. And I know it’s a big call but he might have made a derby horse in six months.
“He’s just got better and better and better. And there’s still so much improvement left in him.
“But after an offer like we got he had to go. If he got to the next level and stopped improving we’d have missed the boat.”
Barnes says Billy Lincoln’s last run at Albion Park when he dropped out early, circled the field, and kept fighting for driver Hayden Barnes when everything else was done, showed just how much he’d come on since arriving in Queensland.
“He had a tough run against some handy horses and still ran great.”
Billy Lincoln is scheduled to leave Marburg on Thursday for Melbourne and will be on a flight to the United States next week, the fourth horse to be sold after being cultivated for Lincoln Farms by Barnes, Trojan Banner and Vasari leaving earlier in the year.
Barnes is in no doubt that Lincoln’s Girl’s success in North America clinched the deal and says the agent is already asking “which one of Lincoln Farms’ horses can we buy next?”
More news in Harness
Lincoln Wave scorches in, still on target for richer races and Sammy’s making progress too
Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
