
Leo Lincoln boasts two wins and a placing from four starts at Cambridge. PHOTO: Angelique Bridson.
It’s all up to Leo at Cambridge on Thursday night with Cove and Moose on the easy list
Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green will take just three runners to Cambridge on Thursday night with two other regulars on the easy list.
Scintigraphy tests on last-start winner Lincoln Cove found nothing really sinister but revealed inflammation in his knees and hocks, which have been treated.
And impressive Cambridge debut winner Lincoln La Moose is out for six weeks after surgery to correct an epiglottis entrapment.
Green ordered tests on the three-year-old after he surprisingly stopped at Auckland at his last start, driver Andre Poutama reporting he made a noise in the running.
“Something like that had to be going on as he should have won from the front with nobody bothering him,” Green said.
It will be left to Leo Lincoln to spearhead the Thursday team this week, his chances in the second race helped already by an early scratching.
Leo comes in to gate four in the now seven-horse field, giving driver Maurice McKendry a better chance of securing a more economical trip than last time.
“After Maurice had a dab at the lead, and couldn’t get there, that was that. He’s a nice little horse but he can’t sit parked like that.
“This looks to be an easier field, and he should be in the money, though you’d think Irish Whispers would lead from one and be hard to round up.”
Leo Lincoln would only have to run up to the form which saw him run a close third behind Little Spike and Vessem at Cambridge four starts back, when he clocked 2:39.6 for the 2200 metres, to be a serious threat.
He boasts two wins and a placing from four starts at Cambridge.
Green isn’t expecting stablemate Obadiah Dragon to test the favoured pair.
“He doesn’t have the race fitness of Leo and will probably need the race.”
Obadiah Dragon, who will be having his first race for more than a month, had a spin round at the Pukekohe workouts last Saturday, weakening to third after looping the field mid-heat.
But Green said driver Nathan Delany had no option but to let the horse run when he started hitting the footrests.
My Copy scores with plenty in reserve at Cambridge last start. PHOTO: Angelique Bridson.Green will have to wait until the last race before seeing if My Copy can repeat his decisive fresh-up win at Cambridge 12 days ago.
“He really did outclass them but he got a perfect suck along, which he likes, and finished off big.
“I don’t know that he can rough it so he’ll need some luck again from five.
“Perhaps he likes being a bit fresh but he went quite well at the workouts at the weekend so he’s trained on.”
My Copy came from last on the home bend, sweeping up five wide before running on resolutely behind Always B Stunning on closing sectionals of 57.9 and 28.3.
My Copy started from 10 metres in the 2500 metre stand and finished a close fifth behind race rivals D J Rock (second) and Rock Band (fourth).
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Nathan’s comments
Tuesday twilight at Manawatu
Race 3: Onyx Shard
5.09pm
“She’s working really well and, from the good draw, hopefully she can run a drum. The field’s not that much harder than the one she beat last time at Manawatu (when parked for the last lap).”
Race 3: Kevin Kline
5.09pm
“We’re very happy with him - he’s come back a better horse. He went well at Auckland last start and is working well. We’ll be looking to go forward from the gate and hopefully get a gun run through behind Onyx Shard. On ability, he’s the better chance of the two.”
Race 4: Leo Lincoln
5.39pm
“He stepped like a bullet in his first go from a stand here in March. I thought he’d do the same on the second day but he galloped. We’ve got an overcheck on and hopple shorteners on Tuesday so he should make a good beginning. If he can step and lead, then maybe take a trail, he should be hard to beat. He likes it down there where the track is quite soft.”

Nathan’s comments
Thursday night at Manawatu
Race 3: Onyx Shard
6.04pm
“I thought I had Kevin Kline covered on Tuesday when we got to the straight because she was really travelling but he kicked away on us. It would be nice if she can get out of the gate as well again - she has good gate speed - and, if she does, she can get some of it again.”
Race 3: Kevin Kline
6.04pm
“He was too good for them on Tuesday, thanks to a great Fergy drive, and he’s in the same field again this time. The extra distance and wide draw shouldn’t make much of a difference and he’s our best of the night.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.02pm
“He’ll be hard to beat again if he steps like he did on Tuesday. The 10 metre handicap shouldn’t stop him. I think he’s even better if he follows something and the extra 500 metres isn’t a worry.”