Friday’s Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup all about the standing start manners of Aussie raider

The Big Lebowski’s bold finish last week has trainer Ray Green hopeful he can bring home the spoils in the Lincoln Farms-sponsored $60,000 Franklin Cup on Friday night.

Green knows Australian Better Eclipse ($2.50) is the one to beat but, from a 30 metre back mark, and with his poor standing start manners, he says it could be game on.

“Better Eclipse is a fast horse and whether our big fella can beat him, we’ll find out, but he’s been beginning safely and we have a 20 metre start on the Aussie.”

Green was pleasantly surprised at how close The Big Lebowski ($3.50) got to the front-running favourite Sooner The Bettor in last Friday night’s Summer Cup, in his first run since returning from Christchurch.

The Big Lebowski closed late to be only a neck away at the line, clocking the fastest last mile of 1:54.9, with the equal fastest closing sectionals of 57.4 and 28.2.

And the big horse, whose forte is his stamina, would be suited by the longer 2700 metres this week, he said.

“He should be a lot sharper this time and I’d say he’s not far from full fitness.”

The Big Lebowski and Blair Orange are too good in the Junior Free-for-all at Addington on cup day. PHOTO: Ajay Berry/Race Images.Five of the last seven Franklin Cups have been won by horses from a handicap and this year The Big Lebowski, shares the 10 metre mark with Jolimont, and is 10 metres in front of Kango and 20 metres ahead of Better Eclipse.

The Big Lebowski stepped cleanly from the tapes last week and in his previous stand was up with the early leaders in the Holmes DG.

Better Eclipse, on the other hand, has galloped away in three of his four standing starts in New Zealand, the only ones of his 77-start career.

He galloped from a 20 metre mark when sixth in the Roy Purdon Memorial at Auckland in May and did the same a week later in the Auckland Cup, albeit still winning over the 3200 metres, sweeping home very late to beat Self Assured.

A bad gallop at the start of the Kaikoura Cup (2400m) last month also proved costly when he settled second last and managed only third, 4.4 lengths behind Mo’unga.

His best effort, when fifth in the New Zealand Trotting Cup, was aided by a run-up start, when he was already pacing when the start was called.

Whether being alone on the 30 metre mark will help him get underway remains to be seen but it’s a sure bet a front line horse like tough stayer Village Rebel, won’t be making it easy for him.

Better Eclipse, however, is in excellent form, having run second to Merlin in the New Zealand Free-for-all and winning the Green Mile at Methven in his last two mobile starts.

The Big Lebowski, who gets the country’s top driver Blair Orange this week, is being aimed at the $250,000 Auckland Cup on New Year’s Eve.

Three of Leo Lincoln’s four wins have come left-handed at Cambridge. PHOTO:Blair on Leo

Orange also takes the reins on Leo Lincoln ($10, $2.90) in the second race and, despite his second row draw, Green is expecting another good run from the three-year-old.

“When I saw him in the one-one a lap from home last week I thought he’d bolt in, and down the back he was still jogging,” Green said.

Driver Peter Ferguson had the same “you beauty” thought when he pulled three wide turning for home but, after only two strides, Leo started pacing roughly and did well to recover for third.

“I don’t know what happened there,” Green said. “I do think he could be a better horse left-handed but he’s still all right this way round and he should go well again. He trained well this week.”

Green, who trained the trifecta in last week’s two-year-old race, lines up three this week, Friday’s maiden winner Debbie Lincoln ($31, $6) joining Tyson ($12, $3.10) and Kevin Kline ($21, $4.50).

“The experience will do Debbie Lincoln good but this is obviously a tougher bunch and I’d be shocked at this stage if she ran into the money.

“But both Tyson and Kevin Kline should go good races. We’ve put an overcheck on Tyson this time after Nathan (Delany) said he was dropping his head on the home turn. Blair will drive him.”

Green said with a good driver (Tony Herlihy) and good draw (two), Kevin Kline would go better than his odds suggest too.

Despite copping the backwash of Sugar Ray Lincoln’s early break last week, Kevin Kline was clocked to run home in 56.9, second equal fastest in the race with Tyson, Herlihy reporting he felt good in doing it.

“He’s a nice horse who’s had only six starts and the first two of those were non-events. I think he’ll go well.”

The fast Purdon/Phelan filly Youretheonethatiwant, clearly top rated at R61, is the $3.60 favourite, back from a fruitless Christchurch campaign and drawn the outside of the arm.