Ideal Kingdom, markers, all but staves off the highly touted Gandalf at Alexandra Park. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.
Ideal Kingdom can go one better on Thursday night for loyal Lincoln Farms partners
By Barry Lichter • 19 July 2022
Little Ideal Kingdom gets top billing at Cambridge on Thursday night after nearly taking a big scalp at Auckland at his last start.
The chunky American Ideal colt had Lincoln Farms and some its most loyal partners really yelling as he set sail for home with a good break on white hot favourite Gandalf at Alexandra Park last Friday night.
And while the highly touted Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained two-year-old grabbed him right on the post, it was still a run that trainer Ray Green says augurs well for the future.
“Based on that run you’d have to think he’ll be favourite on Thursday night,” Green said. “They’re saying Gandalf could be better than Merlin so on paper he looks our best shot of the night.”
Merlin took early season two-year-old honours for the Purdon-Phelan stable when he was unbeaten in four starts, climaxed by the Young Guns Final in March.
Green says while he hadn’t expected Ideal Kingdom to go so close in only his fifth start he’s obviously on the improve.
“James (Stormont) said if he’d relaxed a bit more he would just about have won it too. He got a bit crabby, pulling down the back straight, and really wanted to go.
“He should be hard to beat this week. He’s a genuine horse who does nothing wrong - he’s always been tradesmanlike.”
That rap is sure to be welcomed by Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street and their bevy of partners who race the $32,500 yearling - the Four Legs Syndicate, the Green Machine Racing Syndicate, Priscilla Edmunds, Steve MacDonald, Wayne Seebeck, Chris Prutton, Steve Beckett, Kevin Bell, Margaret Rabbitt and the Athenry Syndicate.
Whiz On Bye showed speed in this narrow defeat at Cambridge on Christmas Eve.Drawn one inside Ideal Kingdom in two is his year older stablemate Whiz On Bye, having his second start in a new preparation.
Green says Whiz On Bye is pacing more fluently this time in and he didn’t mind his first-up effort at Cambridge when he eased out of the one-one 650 metres from home and fought on well for fifth.
Whiz On Bye showed improvement last Thursday at Pukekohe when he led all the way in his 2050 metre workout heat, closing in 57.4 and 27.3.
“I don’t know the quality of what he beat but he won well,” Green said. “I think he’ll go a good race.”
Lincoln Farms also has dual representation in the sixth race with Frankie Major and Next To Me.
Frankie Major, drawn three, is favoured in gate three, whereas Next To Me is cluttered up on the inside of the second row.
“At first I thought his fresh-up fourth was a bit disappointing but they did run the last quarter pretty quick,” Green said.
Frankie Major was also doing his best work late when fourth, beaten 3.9 lengths by Gandalf.
Frankie Major … drawn to be prominent on Thursday. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.“Tony (Herlihy) said if it been bit further than 1700 metres he’d have run third. (He was just a neck behind stablemate Neptune at the line.)
“He should also be more effective down there so he has to be a chance. In the two-year-old races you’re racing potential cup horses, not pluggers like in the lower grades at Cambridge.”
In his previous start at Cambridge in May, Frankie Major came with a barnstorming late run to win.
Stable junior Monika Ranger will have to manufacture some magic on Next To Me who is drawn behind a dicey beginner in Sheza Rose.
“He’ll need a bit of luck,” says Green. “From the second row you’re always at the mercy of the ones in front of you. He doesn’t need to lead but I don’t think he’ll get a good trip from there.”
Next To Me shipwrecked himself with an early gallop last time at Auckland but his two previous starts, at Cambridge, were excellent.
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Major Achievement
5.19pm
“It’s his first race for a while and he hasn’t been setting the world on fire at the workouts. But he’s been racing better animals and this isn’t a stellar bunch. He’s a chance if things go his way. I’ve given Mathew Salaivao the drive.”
Race 1: Commander Lincoln
5.19pm
“He’s an average horse but the last time he raced here in amateur company he all but won. He’ll need luck from the second row but, while I couldn’t label him, he’s a runner’s chance.”
Race 5: Onyx Shard
6.59pm
“She got a bit sick for a while with a virus and I had to back off her. She seems over that now but I’m picking she’ll need a race. This will be like a glorified trial for her.”
Race 8: My Copy
8.14pm
“He came to the end of it so I gave him a little freshen-up and he seems in good shape again. It will be interesting to see how he goes fresh - he may need a race but he’ll appreciate the step-down in class. I’m running him here so he doesn’t come up against any bear cats first-up.”
Race 9: Lincoln Cove
8.47pm
“Hopefully he’s getting better but you’ve just got to take him on trust. He has ability but the desire has been sadly lacking. Zac will have to sit quietly on him as he broke when given only one tap with the stick last time. The small field will suit him as he won’t be too far off them. If he doesn’t make any mistakes, he’ll give them a fright.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Leo Lincoln
6.43pm
“Maurice said he would have finished a lot closer last time than sixth (fourth or even third) had he not locked wheels at the 100. That took all his momentum away. He’s been holding his form well and he gets out well enough to use the inside draw. He’s a chance to get some of the money.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.39pm
“He did have marks on his boot after his last run and trying a spreader on him has helped. But he’s a real baby. He has real ability but he’s still developing mentally and physically and we’re still finding our way with him.”
Race 5: Lincoln Lou
7.39pm
“He’s racing well but he’ll find it tough from the outside draw.”
Race 6: Debbie Lincoln
8.07pm
“I can’t see her improving enough to give the Purdon/Phelan trio a fright. She can go (fast) enough but still has a lot to learn. The main thing for her is getting round safely. She’s put two in a row now so hopefully she’ll start improving.”
Race 10: Lincoln La Moose
9.59pm
“He had an excuse last time - he got wiped out on the first corner and that was the end of his race. I like him, he’s a nice horse, just not quite as experienced as Frisco Bay.”
Race 10: Frisco Bay
9.59pm
“I lean towards Frisky as the better chance of our two. You can’t fault what he did the other night at Cambridge, and he seems to be on the improve. He’s more reliable than Lincoln La Moose.”
Mark Dux’s comments
Saturday night at Albion Park
Race 6: Captain Nemo
9.40pm NZ time
“I rate him a good top three chance. I’m really happy with the horse. It’s a decent drop in grade for him and I think maybe we roll the dice, go forward, and take our chances. As long as he doesn’t have to burn stupidly off the gate, if he can find the top, they’ll know he’s in the race.”
