Hampton Banner downs Dr Susan and On A Roll, who have both gone on to better things. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.
Hampton Banner and Man Of Action looking for good trips at Auckland on Friday night
By Barry Lichter • 5 February 2020
Hampton Banner and Man Of Action are both winning chances in the third race at Auckland on Friday night - with the run of the race set to determine who performs best.
Both horses have drawn badly, Man Of Action two on the second row and Hampton Banner two outside him.
And trainer Ray Green says it’s hard to separate the pair who are both handy three-year-olds.
“I wouldn’t say one is better than the other - it will come down to the trip they get.”
Hampton Banner is almost certain to start shorter in the market after his impressive all-the-way workout win at Pukekohe last Saturday.
“He has been training and trialling well but it’s also his first run for a while,” says Green.
Hampton Banner’s form line is also more impressive than his stablemate’s, especially after the horse he beat when winning at Auckland in November, Dr Susan, won the Victoria Oaks last week.
“His subsequent starts were also against the top age group horses, so it’s a big step-down in class for him.”
Since winning, Hampton Banner ran sixth behind stablemate Copy That in the Northern Stakes, seventh to Copy That in the Alabar Classic and ninth behind One Change in the Sales Series’ Final.
Man Of Action … out of luck in recent starts.Punctured tyre came off rim
Man Of Action, on the other hand, has been racing in weaker company, beating little of note at Cambridge then unable to get into the race after being taken back from a wide draw at Auckland.
You can completely forget his last start on January 24 when he was pulled up 800 metres from home. Driver Andrew Drake was unlucky to have a tyre punctured early in the race and was forced to pull out of the race when the tyre and tube came off the rim of the wheel.
His luck was little better at last Saturday’s Pukekohe workouts when Man Of Action went round with one leg out of the hopple loop, doing well to finish despite breaking twice in the running.
Drake keeps the drive on Man Of Action on Friday night and Zachary Butcher gets on Hampton Banner.
Zac’s choice a pointer
Butcher’s choice of drives in the last race, for maiden two-year-olds, is a good indicator, as he shuns the Lincoln Farms’ debutants for Steven Reid’s talented filly Shes No Lady, whom he piloted into second on debut.
Bondi Shake (Andre Poutama) is badly placed on the outside of the gate for his debut.Butcher’s father David gets behind Franco Nandor while Andre Poutama is on Bondi Shake.
“Both will find it hard from their draws, especially Bondi Shake who is on the outside,” says Green.
“Some of those fillies have been trialling well and they get the preferential draws. But we’ll send them round. They’ve got to start somewhere.
“They’re both nice two-year-olds who will end up tidy horses but it’s not fair to expect them to win on Friday. If they get home well and finish in the first half of the field I’ll be happy.”
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
