Leo Lincoln repels the challenge of Rough And Ready at Manawatu tonight. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.
Leo takes the lion’s share to cap terrific Manawatu season - and Ray gets a piece too
By Barry Lichter • 1 May 2025
Co-trainer Ray Green couldn’t have scripted a better finish to the Manawatu racing season than Leo Lincoln winning again tonight.
Going back-to-back in a $25,000 race saw the four-year-old pick up $24,750 at the two-night meeting with Green sharing in the spoils as a co-owner.
With Leo Lincoln’s career tally now six wins and $83,365, it also vindicated his decision to take a share in the horse in preference to stablemate Lincoln La Moose, who lags $50,000 behind in earnings.
Green, who races Leo Lincoln with Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, their business manager Ian Middelton, Glenn and Ann Cotterill and Phil Kelly, liked the way Leo was shaping up in his early education, despite the fact he was big and growing and likely to take a little time.
Bought from Alabar Stud for $27,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2021 weanling sale, the Art Major youngster was only the second foal of Alta Valencia, a sister to Alta Intrigue who ran third for Lincoln Farms in Raukapuka Ruler’s Great Northern Derby.
How Leo Lincoln looked as a weanling when Lincoln Farms bought him for $27,000.Green said Leo Lincoln always showed a lot of ability and when he won his third race in March, 2024 he sat parked for the last lap at Cambridge and clocked 2:40 flat. Two weeks later he ran 2:39.6 when beaten a head and a neck by Little Spike and Vessem.
“He went through a funny patch after that and I think he had a few lameness issues which were never pinpointed.
“But he’s obviously got stronger with a bit of age and I think he’s close to the best of what we’ve seen from him right now.”
Green said Leo Lincoln really benefitted from another slick start tonight, and he praised the starter Gary Phillips for doing his job efficiently, turning the field in and letting them go without delay.
“We also let his hopples out quite a bit on this trip and that seems to have helped.”
Driver Peter Ferguson did the rest, taking an early trail before coming off the markers a round out to avoid being snookered three back.
From there, Leo Lincoln took over, claiming the pacemaker Lord Delmar turning for home then bravely fending off Rough And Ready who swept up and briefly looked to have his measure at the top of the home stretch.
“Fergy drove a good race but that’s what you expect when you put the top drivers on.
“It was a $25,000 race too - we wouldn’t be racing for any more than that at Auckland.”
Green said while some critics blamed Manawatu for taking horses away from Auckland he wasn’t about to send them to Auckland just to be cannon fodder.
“He’ll go up another eight rating points to 62 and the way things are up here Merlin will be breathing down his neck before you know it.”
Leo Lincoln’s $13,750 stake, plus Kevin Kline’s contribution with a strong second earlier in the night, took Lincoln Farms’ Manawatu earnings in the last two months to a few dollars short of $80,000.
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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.”
