It’s an even line-up but stick with fleet-footed Debbie Lincoln at Auckland on Friday night
By Barry Lichter • 22 October 2025
Debbie Lincoln lost no caste with co-trainer Ray Green when dive-bombed late last week and again looks the stable’s best chance at Auckland on Friday.
Driver Maurice McKendry told Green he was happy with the filly’s runner-up placing and that she paced strongly through the line after doing all the pacemaking.
“Captain Sampson just surprised her that last bit but he’s a talented sort and she wasn’t slowing up,” Green said.
Officially clocked over her last 800 metres in 55.7 and 400 in 26.8, Debbie Lincoln ran the 1609 metres in 1:54.4.
That followed her run two weeks earlier when she ran an Alexandra Park record for a three-year-old, clocking a mile rate of 1:53.5 for 1700 metres.
Ray Green … “I think she’s better coming from off the pace.”“From seven on the gate this week she’ll have to go back but I think she’s better coming from off the pace.
“She’s a good chance if she can get sucked into it at the right time.”
In an even field, Debbie Lincoln ($4.50, $1.65) opened second favourite behind the better drawn Turn O The Tide ($3.60). Next in the market are Double Parked ($4.80) and Blazing Louie ($5).
Stablemate Tyson ($6.50, $2) might lack the speed of Debbie and some of his other rivals but he just needs a little luck to be right in it again, says Green.
“We were looking to sit in with him last week but it didn’t work out. He still ran on pretty well as he always does.”
Parked from as far as 1550 metres out, Tyson rallied bravely to be just 1.4 lengths behind eventual winner Tytate.
Kevin Kline ($5, $1.60) rounds out the Lincoln Farms’ team for Friday night, facing higher rated rivals in the opening race but with the advantage of the inside draw.
From there, Green hopes the horse will get more luck than last week when, after being three deep on the markers, he was held up in the run home and finished the race in tight quarters, just 2.7 lengths behind Captain Sampson.
“He got home really well, hard on their backs and, with the right trip, he’ll be dangerous.
“But the race looks suited to a horse like Hooray Henry who, in a small field, can sit back and outsprint them.
“But all three of ours are each-way chances. They’ve all trained on well.”
More news in Harness
Prince Lincoln spearheads record-sized team for Lincoln Farms at Cambridge on Friday
Ray cautions punters with no lead this time for Jekyll and Hyde colt Prince Lincoln
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.”
