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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.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).

Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Nathan Delany

Nathan’s comments

Wednesday night at Cambridge

Race 1: Lincoln Maree
5.11pm

“She’s finding her feet and was a bit unlucky at Taupo. She put in a few rough ones out of the gate - she was like that early in her prep and could just jump out of it - but she’s generally doing things right now. She trained well on Saturday and, with the right run, could run top three.”

Race 3: The Night Fox
6pm

“He won really well on the second day at Hawera and if he races anything like he’s training he’ll be hard to beat. He ran a 27.3 quarter during the week and I was just sitting on him. I’ll tell Craig to go forward, set an even tempo and cut him loose at the 600. I think he’s our best of the night.”

Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.35pm

“Hopefully he’s improved since Taupo when Fergie drove him a treat in front. I actually think he’s better coming off something’s back but I’ll leave it up to Fergie. He’s up a bit in grade but has the right draw to be in it all the way.”

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Friday night at Auckland

Race 5: Lincoln Wave
7.32pm

“He had an easy run last week and he can go a lot faster than that. He should be hard to beat. It won’t matter if he doesn’t find the lead from six, he’ll be just as effective coming from off the pace. He’s a pretty classy horse, classier than most of those against him.”

Dan Costello Race Photography