Genuine little Leo Lincoln hard to stop in weaker company at Cambridge on Friday night

It’s not hard to peg Leo Lincoln as the best chance of Lincoln Farms’ five runners at Cambridge on Friday night.

The genuine little three-year-old is rarely out of the money and, after two slightly unlucky runs at Auckland, drops back in company and returns to the scene of his two most recent wins.

“He looks our best shot all right,” says trainer Ray Green.

“He always goes well, draws don’t seem to matter to him, and he came from last at Auckland last week.”

Drawing the pole in his last two starts hasn’t been all peaches and cream for Leo, who has been held up early in the home straight before being able to lodge his claim in far stronger fields.

Two starts back he was best of the rest behind Escape Artist, Iron Brigade and Hugotastic, beating home the well fancied Better Knuckle Up and Aye Aye Captain.

And last week only those last two finished ahead of him when he was again held up before unleashing the fastest last quarter in the race, 27 flat, clocking 2:41.6 overall for the 2200 metres.

From five on the gate on Friday, Green believes Leo is good enough to make his own luck. In March he came from barrier six to score at Cambridge, clocking 2:40 flat.

Green believes Leo Lincoln and stablemate My Copy are clearly the two to beat in the race, both winners on the course in their last visits.

“Leo has a bit more speed than My Copy but I’m happy with both of them.”

My Copy finished fourth, just a head behind Leo Lincoln last week, after showing surprisingly good gate speed to trail.

“Maurice (McKendry) hadn’t asked him to leave for a while and he showed a bit of lick. He likes Cambridge and is racing very well.”

Obadiah Dragon … pushed four wide when mounting a run last week at Auckland. PHOTO: Jack McKenzie.One race earlier, Green lines up Lincoln Cove, Commander Lincoln and Obadiah Dragon, and rates the latter best.

“Obadiah Dragon will need luck from seven but if I had to bet on one of those three, he’d be it.”

Green says you can put the line through his last start at Auckland when he quietly fancied the horse at outsized odds.

“The way the race panned out it was a non-event for a lot of them. They walked and sprinted home and those back in the field had no chance.”

Obadiah Dragon, pushed four wide 600 metres out when starting his run, was never a chance.

“The driver (Andre Poutama) thought he got home well for fifth so we’ll just forget the run.”

Green says he won’t be holding his breath over Lincoln Cove and Commander Lincoln but you couldn’t rule them out.

“Lincoln Cove is capable but not very reliable. The two draw gives him his chance. He should get out of the gate well and be handy to the pace.”

The Downbytheseaside three-year-old paced roughly in the run home at Alexandra Park last week and, while he has proven unpredictable at Cambridge, seemed to be more comfortable left-handed.

“Commander Lincoln is feeling good at the moment and could surprise us all. Six is a niggly draw, and this field is harder than the amateur company he has been placing in, but none of them are superstars.”