Trainer Ray Green has aspirations to contest December’s New Zealand Derby with Simply Sam.
Improving Simply Sam has the speed to win again at Auckland on Thursday night
By Barry Lichter • 29 June 2022
Trainer Ray Green believes Simply Sam can continue on his winning way despite having to take on a couple of higher rated interlopers.
Race seven at Auckland on Thursday night was to have been for rating 52 to 59 pacers but when only four horses were entered for the 60 and faster event, it was scrapped, Melanion (R63) and Wild Card (R64) being switched into the easier race, conditional on their being driven by claiming juniors.
But Green says Simply Sam is still the one to beat.
“You can’t fault what he’s done. If he can’t beat that lot he’s not going to go far and I think he can round them up again.”
With his great turn of foot, Green rates Simply Sam very highly and has long range aspirations to contest the New Zealand Derby in December.
And the way he swept up from second last on the home turn two weeks ago and breezed straight past his rivals to win, going away, suggested he will be more than competitive against the top three-year-olds by the end of the year.
Simply Sam had to run only 2:43.4 for that 2200 metres but he has already clocked 2:40.9 when he reeled of closing sectionals of 56 and 27 flat.
Drawn five on Thursday night, and with zero gate speed, Simply Sam will settle back in the field again but he needs only a decent crack at them in the last 400 metres to win his fourth race from only 10 starts.
Neptune … won’t be undertaking a search and destroy mission from the second row. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.Green isn’t so bullish about his chaces in the third race where Neptune and Ideal Kingdom have to take on older horses after the two-year-old race was also canned for lack of numbers.
Neptune looks to be up against it, drawn five on the second row, and Green says he’ll be driven to try for a cart into the race late.
“He won’t be going on any search and destroy mission. He didn’t run on last time but I’m picking what stopped him was being burned hard early.
“He’s a promising colt but he just needs to get a bit stronger. As long as he gets home well, I’ll be happy.”
Ideal Kingdom has drawn better in three but lacks the speed of his stablemate.
“He’s a nice little horse who’ll go a good honest race I’m sure and, if things go his way, he’s a chance. We’re backing him up three weeks in a row, which is a bit tough, but he seems to be handling it.”
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Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
