‘He’d have run straight past them’ - Fergie tells just how unlucky Johnny Lincoln was

The sight of Johnny Lincoln ($3, $1.35) hard held, with no gaps in front of him in the closing stages last week, will again earn him a following at Auckland on Friday night.

The two-year-old finished last of six, but was only 2.4 lengths from winner Big Herb and was full of running, hard held over the last 75 metres by driver Peter Ferguson.

It was the second time in only two starts since he won that the colt has been unlucky, co-trainer Ray Green revealing he’d been spooked by the spray from the mobile cart the previous time, before unleashing the fastest sectionals from the rear.

“Fergie said he’d have run straight past them with a clear run last week,” Green said. “There was a gap in the straight but it closed when he got to it.”

Sent out favourite, Johnny Lincoln didn’t help his chances by travelling too keenly and he had trouble on the bends, particularly the home turn when he lost touch with the trailing runner.

“I’m not sure what happened on that final bend but he’s still a work in progress.

“The trials are virtually useless these days, there aren’t enough horses to learn with, so we threw him in the deep end and have been schooling him at the races.

“He still has a bit to learn but he’s getting better.”

From the pole position on Friday, in a slightly easier race restricted to R38 to R40 horses, Green expects another top run from the Lather Up colt, with fresh runner Miki Mirage ($8, $2.30) a likely threat after good recent workouts.

With a number of Lincoln Farms’ team sitting out a week, it will be left to only Tyson ($7, $2.05) to fly the flag, from a good two draw in the opening race.

Tyson was beaten only a neck and half a neck last week, hampered when locking wheels with runner-up New Kid In Town, who ran out late.

Stewards took no action over the incident with Tyson’s driver Zachary Butcher confirming his horse contributed to the crowding by laying in.

“He dogged up on the pole so we’ve taken it off this week,” Green said. “He’ll get his head round but at least he’ll steer better and go forward.”

Green said while Tyson had to do it tough when caught in the death seat, that would not have worried him.

“He’s lazy and will drop the bit. He’s not one to pull and over-race. He’ll slop around and and kick on like he’s had cover.

“Some horses only require a couple of runs but he’s taken a little longer to come to it. But he’s getting better each time and is racing well.

“Both Tyson and Johnny Lincoln are nice horses, as good as anything else in their races, and I’m sure they’ll go well again.”