Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie

Saying goodbye to horses like Johnny Lincoln is never easy but when a good offer came in from America, Ray Green knew he had to let him go.

“It’s always sad to see horses like him go when they’ve been so good to you but, from a business perspective, we were obligated to sell,” said Green, Lincoln Farms’ senior trainer and a part-owner of the three-year-old.

As the winner of five races, Green says Johnny Lincoln was on the cusp of having to front up to some serious horses.

“He would have become cannon fodder so selling was a no-brainer really.”

Green expects Johnny Lincoln to excel in the hard mile racing in the States.

“He has a little bit of gate speed so they can use him and he could sit parked over there and still get money as he has a big ticker.”

Green allowed himself the luxury of taking a share in Johnny Lincoln when he showed immediate ability in his early training.

But then it wasn’t surprising he felt like “he had a bit of lick” considering his six-race winning sister Lincoln’s Megastar also had really high speed.

“It’s a good family that we’re very familiar with of course with Sir Lincoln in his pedigree.”

The only surprising part was his cost, Green and Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street snapping up the Lather Up colt for just $10,000 as a weanling.

“But he didn’t know what he cost and he was always a nice little horse.”

The new owners of Johnny Lincoln saw immediately what a promising prospect they’d bought when he turned in one of the runs of the race behind Jumal in the $200,000 Harness Million at Alexandra Park a week ago.

Sent forward 1400 metres from home by driver Peter Ferguson, Johnny Lincoln was denied the death seat by Jumal and sat three wide for the rest of race with no cover.

And just when you’d expect him to start going backwards, Johnny Lincoln kept finding in the straight. A close third and right in behind Jumal until the last 100 metres, he was swamped late into sixth, just 2.2 lengths from the winner.

But Johnny had shown glimpes of his big heart before, his win in a $35,000 Metro Final in January after doing plenty of work prompting Green to label him a warrior: “If you were in a bar room brawl, you’d want him standing next to you.”

Johnny Lincoln leaves New Zealand with five wins, seven placings and $79,920 in stakes for Green, John and Lynne Street, Ian Middleton, the Four Legs Syndicate, the estate of Margaret Rabbitt, Duncan Chisholm and Kathy James and the Athenry Syndicate.

Lincoln Lover … a tradesman who just lacked a yard of high speed.Lover off to Aussie

Green is also farewelling Lincoln Lover who will be crossing the Tasman to Sydney’s Matt Leppard.

And while Lincoln Lover didn’t have the same ability as Johnny Lincoln, Green says his new owners will have plenty of fun with the horse.

“They’ll get their money back. He tries hard on the track and is such a nice horse to deal with.

“He just lacks a yard of speed to be a serious horse. When the speed really went on he didn’t cope but he’s a real tradesman.

“We never really had a problem with him apart from his lack of speed. He’s got a lot of mates in that space however. Some don’t try after they’ve had a few tough runs but it never affected him, he was pretty honest.”

Lincoln Lover won two races this season, at Taupo and Cambridge and, along with six placings, earned $31,355 for John and Lynne Street, Paul Wyatt, Jason Deane and Brent Mulholland.