From Line Up to Make Way, Ants loves his front-running wins on Lincoln Farms’ stars
By Barry Lichter • 29 January 2020
Fresh from winning the Victoria Derby with Line Up, top horseman Anthony Butt and his partner Sonya Smith will venture to Penrith on Thursday night with another star Lincoln Farms’ graduate Make Way - and the result should be another all-the-way win.
Make Way has had an easy time since his last-start run at Menangle when he raced against vastly superior company, finishing fourth behind Ignatius and King Of Swing in a 2300 metre sizzler run in a 1:54.6 mile rate.
There were no signs of little Make Way flagging as he powered home from three back on the markers in a 53.9 last half and 27.1 quarter.
Trainer Sonya Smith and partner Anthony Butt have won four races and nearly A$36,000 with Make Way already this season from only eight starts.“We were rapt with the run, at a really tough level, and Thursday’s race is a big drop in class for him.”
A rating 90 horse in an up-to-rating 90 race, Butt says he will go forward on Make Way from his five draw and try to lead.
“But if he has to sit outside them, it wouldn’t worry him as he relaxes so well out there. He’s so adaptable and loves little tracks like Penrith.”
Make Way has already won three times at Penrith for Smith and Butt says it’s great how the Australian system allows horses like him to still race at the smaller meetings.
“It means we don’t have to go to Menangle and run very fast times every start.”
Butt was glad he opted not to risk taking Make Way to Melton for the Four-Year-Old Bonanza where winner Lochinvar Art beat Self Assured in a blazing mile of 1:48.6.
Instead Make Way will have a much easier confidence booster as he prepares for the first heat of the Chariots Of Fire on Saturday week.
“He’s not 100 percent but hopefully he doesn’t need to be. He will be very hard to beat. It should be like a trial for him.”
Line Up all the way in the Victoria Derby.Kudos to Green with Line Up
Butt deflected the kudos from his Victoria Derby win with Line Up to Lincoln Farms’ Pukekohe trainer Ray Green.
“Ray did all the work on the horse. He sent him over in fantastic condition and made it so easy for us.
“We didn’t have to do much with him, just kept him ticking over, so it’s a big thank you from us to Ray.”
Butt says he made a couple of small changes to Line Up’s gear to ensure he didn’t gallop under restraint but they were never put to the test as Line Up paced along sweetly in front, just as in his derby heat win a week earlier.
“He loves it in front. He gets into a rhythm and relaxes and has a very high cruising speed.
“It’s hard to lead and win a derby but he did it easily.”
Line Up paced 3:17.5 for the 2760 metres, a mile rate of 1:55.2, a full second faster than in his heat.
Butt says he was thrilled to also produce the derby third placegetter for Line Up’s owner Emilio Rosati, Perfect Stride another who was educated and trained by Green at Lincoln Farms until late August.
Make Way races at 9.36pm NZ time at Penrith on Thursday night.
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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.”
