Good mile effort on Friday will see Lincoln River travel some more miles to Hawera
By Barry Lichter • 24 January 2024
Trainer Ray Green is looking for a good run from Lincoln River on Friday night to cement a trip south to Hawera next week.
Lincoln River lines up in the fifth race at Auckland on mile night, over the same trip and from the same barrier, five, that saw him score his last win at the Park in November.
And after two workout wins in as many weeks, Green is confident of a good showing from the tough little pacer.
Lincoln River led all the way for Nathan Delany in his latest workout at Pukekohe last Saturday and, driven out, clocked a fast 1:58.9 mile rate for the 2050 metres to stave off Nelson’s Boy and stablemate My Copy.
With regular driver Delany suspended for a whip infringement until after the meeting, the reins go to fellow stable junior Monika Ranger on Friday night.
“He’s in good shape and I’m sure he’ll go well,” Green said.
Lincoln River, inner, pips his more favoured stablemate Frankie Major in his last run over a mile at Auckland last November. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.“He’s pulled up well from that latest workout and the mile will suit.”
Green is considering taking Lincoln River, Simply Sam and possibly Commander Lincoln to Hawera next week for the Friday-Sunday grass track meeting.
Lincoln River and Simply Sam would have two $20,000 cups to contest, Friday’s Stratford Cup and Sunday’s Hawera Cup, both over 2100 metres.
“Half the staff are going down so they might as well take some horses with them.”
Green isn’t expecting too much from Simply Sam in the seventh race on Friday night, given he takes on the likes of Merlin, Mach Shard, Sooner The Better and Alta Wiseguy.
“It’s only a small field but I can’t see Merlin beaten and a few of the others look better than him too.
“But he’ll get a good trip from one and should still go a good race, he always does.”
The same applies to Leo Lincoln in the fifth race, his 23212 formline telling all you need to know, Green said.
“He’s gone well in each of his last five starts and while Christopher Dance easily beat him last time, he was clearly better than the rest.”
Leo Lincoln tagged on to the back of Christopher Dance in making his run from last, improved three wide round the home turn and closed bravely in the very wet conditions.
My Copy, who takes on Lincoln River in race six, is the lowest rated runner but has the best draw, the ace hole giving him a chance at some money.
“That draw always helps and he’ll go his usual, honest race.”
My Copy was only 2.2 lengths from winner and stablemate Frankie Major in his last start on New Year’s Eve, rallying gamely from three deep on the markers to finish right alongside the in-form Two Eye See.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
