Frisco Bay cruises home for Zachary Butcher at Auckland on Saturday night. PHOTO: Kirstin Farr/Race Images.
Frisco Bay explosive winner and The Big Lebowski hints at more excitement to come
By Barry Lichter • 22 September 2024
It’s too soon to know if Frisco Bay is up to tackling a derby but trainer Ray Green is liking the path the three-year-old is now on.
Once thought to be the best of Lincoln Farms’ early two-year-olds, Frisco Bay went through a stage where he got too stressed out and beat himself up.
But at Alexandra Park on Saturday night, the three-year-old took his latest prep stats to two wins and a second from four starts when he smashed his rivals in the final race.
Green particularly liked the way the gelding sat quietly in the trial for driver Zachary Butcher before exploding up the passing lane to win, untested, by a length and three-quarters in a slick 2:41.5 for the 2200 metres.
“His manners are a lot better now. For his first few races he was a bit of a runaway but now he relaxes nicely and drives well.
“Zac said he was good in behind. Round the corner when the others were whipping he said it fired him up a bit but he hung on to him until he saw daylight.
“No way they were going to beat him when he sat in the trail and he won really well in the end.
“He’s a nice horse. He always showed a bit and we thought he was our best two-year-old early on. Now he’s actually showing it.
“You’d have to think he has a lot more wins in him. I don’t know if he’s a derby horse or not. A bit of improvement could be needed for that.
“But from now on he’ll have to front up to those horses. We’ll just take it week by week and see where he takes us.”
Green, who bought the Downbytheseaside gelding for just $9000 as a weanling before going into partrnership with Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, said there was a lot to like about the horse.
“He’s nicely gaited and has enough speed to get a good trip. I wish I had a couple more like him.”
Frisco Bay, who was originally opened at $6 by the TAB bookies, now boasts a bankroll of $44,726 from just 16 starts, with three wins and four placings.
Close fourth
Almost as pleasing on the night for Green was the big performance by The Big Lebowski to finish a close fourth in the Spring Cup (2200m).
In his first race for 15 months, and having only his second standing start, the giant pacer made a safe, if steady, beginning from the inside for champion reinsman Tony Herlihy.
And when he followed eventual winner Sooner The Bettor into the race on the home turn Green thought he looked to be going as well as anything in the field.
“He got home so well and really dug in at the finish. He was poking in between Sooner The Bettor and Merlin at the line.
“I was thrilled with the run. He’d had only one and a half trials (he broke badly at the start in the second one) and was thrown in the deep end.”
In finishing a neck, a length and a head from Sooner The Bettor, The Big Lebowski paced the trip in a swift 2:42.9.
The Big Lebowski will take his next step on a possible New Zealand Cup campaign in the $40,000 The Holmes DG (2700m) at Auckland on October 4.
Before Saturday night he sat 38th in the entry order for the November 12 feature at Addington.
More news in Harness
OK Sammy, lightning bolts aside, Ray’s relying on you to do things right this time
Lincoln Dealer has the genes but not the barrier draw for Cambridge debut
HRNZ boss Brad Steele resigns after less than two years; chairman praises his work
$101 monster upset! - Lincoln Wave makes the most of lucky break and fills plenty of pockets
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
