Here’s Johnny … Ray introduces weanling sale graduate as deserved favourite on Friday night
By Barry Lichter • 11 June 2025
Weanling sale graduate Johnny Lincoln ($1.70) fully deserves to be favourite for Friday night’s National Weanling Sale Pace at Auckland, says co-trainer Ray Green.
The Lather Up two-year-old has only four rivals, two of whom are unraced, and another pair who haven’t shown the same ability in their sole starts.
Johnny Lincoln, however, has turned in two excellent runs:
- His debut third at Cambridge was behind talented types Fitzroy, now in Australia, and Nymbal
- And his last-start third at Auckland saw him run faster sectionals than the first two home, Franco Salah and Tytate.
Johnny Lincoln overcame an early setback in that May 30 race, driver Peter Ferguson forced four wide on the first bend when taking evasive action, then caught without cover for a time.
After getting a long way back, the gelding ripped over his last mile of the 2200 metres in 1:57.1, with his last 800 also the fastest in 56.7.
Green was impressed by what he saw in the last few hundred metres that night when Johnny Lincoln closed to just 1.1 lengths of the winner.
“They were all on their knees at the finish but he dug in and fought better than most. Another 20 metres and he’d probably have won.
“He’s a good-gaited little fella and I think he deserves to be favourite.
“It’s hard to know how far he’ll take us but on paper he has to be the one to beat on Friday.”
Green says Johnny Lincoln has trained on well in the interim - “he’s not a brilliant track worker but I’m sure he’ll go well.”
Stablemate Lincoln Maree, who galloped on debut, would be no threat, Green said.
“She’s really only in there to make the race happen but she tries hard. She can be a bit of a loose cannon around at the start but she’s OK once underway.”
The main danger to Johnny Lincoln would appear to be the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained Buddy Guy who held out stablemate and race rival Fly High in their latest workout at Pukekohe.
Of the two others which Green and training partner Nathan Delany line up for Lincoln Farms on Friday, he fancies Lincoln La Moose the most.
Green believes the $10 and $2.60 quote could be overs.
“He’s trained on really well this week and, dropping down a grade, I think he’ll be a serious winning chance.”
Leo Lincoln ($11, $1.70), on the other hand, meets some much higher rated opposition in the fourth race, his R57 rating looking sketchy against American Me (R78) despite a 25-metre head start.
It’s only the second time Leo Lincoln has tackled 2700 metres in his 42-start career but Green isn’t worried abut the extra distance.
“He’s going well and has become quite a good beginner from a stand so he should have a good head start on his rivals.
“This looks to be a slightly easier race than last week and hopefully he can get some of it.”
More news in Harness
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Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
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.”
