Leo Lincoln finishes strongly behind Penny Black last Friday.
Leo Lincoln leads the charge of Lincoln Farms’ place chances at the Park on Friday night
By Barry Lichter • 13 December 2023
Trainer Ray Green doesn’t expect the outside draw to stop improving two-year-old Leo Lincoln from earning another cheque at Auckland on Friday night.
The Art Major gelding finished best of the rest behind the strongly fancied Penny Black last Friday night, running his second sub 2:42 time in as many starts.
And his closing sectionals of 57.2 and 28.3 were the best in the race, along with his last mile clocking of 1:59.2.
“He’s going good races and I don’t think it’s too bad for him being out wide as he won’t be used up early,” Green said.
“He’s not a strong horse yet but he’s racing honestly and while I couldn’t label him a winner, he should be in it.”
Leo Lincoln comes up against three of the strong Steve and Amanda Telfer team including Delightful Reality, who beat him a half neck two starts back and has the advantage of the pole this week.
Simply Sam gets another chance to break his string of placings when he contests the $30,000 Thames Summer Cup, favourably drawn in two.
Green is happy that Simply Sam is up to the opposition and says he’s “honest as the earth” but he suspects the horse is still not quite right given how he was beaten a neck and a nose last week after a good trip.
“I thought he was a bit disappointing last week - he gets up to them but seems reluctant to run past them. I think we’re getting on top of his tying-up issue but he’s still not 100% I don’t think.
“He steps fast so you’d be mad to leave him out of combo bets but I can’t label him on what he’s shown us this time in. I’ll be happy if he picks up another cheque.”
Maurice McKendry finds My Copy a beautiful trip in the one-one last week.My Copy jumps up from winning a rating 41 to 46 last week to a rating 50 to 56 race but Green says his rivals certainly “don’t stand over him.
“It wouldn’t surprise me to see him win again but he’d need another good trip. Maurice found him a great trip last week and that’s what won it for him.
“He never lets us down. Even when he’s been beaten he’s had excuses.”
My Copy leaves from another niggly draw of five in the eighth race, his stablemate Lincoln River, the second highest rated horse in the race, faring even worse in seven.
“He had no luck last week when stuck out parked and he’ll be looking for a bit of luck again on Friday.
“All four of ours are going well enough and can be in it, subject to a bit of luck.”
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.”
