Frankie Major is comfortably holding Throwyaarmsaroundme at the finish. PHOTO: Megan Liefting./Race Images.
Frankie electric off the gate to take Magness Benrow spoils in the slush at the Park
By Barry Lichter • 31 December 2023
Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street were delighted to close out the harness racing season with a win by Frankie Major at Auckland tonight.
It was Frankie Major’s third win of the season for the stable - second only to Lincoln River’s 2023 haul of four - and came, appropriately, in the Magness Benrow Pace.
“I’m rapt we won this race because it’s sponsored by John Magness whom I have admired for years as a businessman,” John Street said. “He’s 78 and a legend.”
The architect of the win, the 29th harness success of the year for Lincoln Farms - including six in Australia - was undoubtedly Alexandra Park’s leading reinsman Zachary Butcher.
Owner John Street, right, thanks sponsor John Magness, left, after Frankie Major’s win.Trainer Ray Green revealed it was Butcher who suggested an aggressive gate drive in the heavy, rain-affected going, despite his six alley.
“Zac said we should have a dab for the front. He got there easily and kicked sand in their faces.”
From the cockpit, Butcher rated the Art Major three-year-old to perfection and held out a home stretch challenge from the favourite Throwyaarmsaroundme by a length, having only to run closing sectionals of 59.6 and 30.8 for an overall time of 2:43.9 for the 2200 metres.
It was Butcher’s fourth win on the colt and his sixth in all, which, along with nine seconds and three thirds boosted his stake earnings to $86,200.
“He’s always been a nice little horse,” said Green of the $60,000 2021 Christchurch yearling buy.
“He was a standout when we got him going, because he was such a natural and did everything right.”
Pipped a nose on his two-year-old debut, Frankie Major butted heads early with some talented age group horses but Green said, on the whole, they’d tried to protect him from the Merlins and Don’t Stop Dreamings of the harness world.
“And he responded by slowly but surely maturing. He just took a while to strengthen but he’s now a versatile tradesman and I knew the wet track wouldn’t worry him.”
Tonight’s win brought to 17 the number of individual pacers who won races for Lincoln Farms this season, the most prolific Lincoln River (four), Frankie Major (three) and Copy That (three).
The undoubted highlight of the season was that by Lincoln River at Alexandra Park in June, when John and Lynne Street brought up their 1000th win as owners. It was their 573rd harness win to go with 427 with gallopers.
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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.”
