Man Of Action highballing in front for Zachary Butcher at Pukekohe last Friday.
Lights, camera, Action - Lincoln Farms should find the winners’ circle at Auckland
By Barry Lichter • 14 July 2020
Lincoln Farms looks to be in for a good night at Auckland on Wednesday, with strong winning chances in three races.
Man Of Action gives Ray Green’s stable the ruling hand in the ninth race, Tommy Lincoln will have a big team of supporters in the seventh race after winning three workouts on end and two-year-olds Franco Nandor and Captain Nemo strike a winnable race in the fifth.
Man Of Action, drawn the pole, should pounce straight onto the lead in the Always B Miki Pace and be very hard to run down.
He was all over a winner of his fresh-up race on July 1 until be broke 150 metres from home.
And since then he has trialled in terrific fashion, powering along in front at last Friday’s Pukekohe workouts and winning easily by two and a half lengths.
“The way he trialled he’s got to be a serious chance,” says Green. “He just lost concentration a bit last start but I’ve also tweaked his gear up a bit. His hopples were way too long and it has made a big difference.”
Stablemate American Dealer, who is under offer, has been scratched.
Driver David Butcher only has to extricate Tommy Lincoln from the inside of the second row to be the one to beat in race seven.
It will be his first start since March but he has looked a new, improved version in winning three lead-up workouts, beating stable star Copy That each time.
“The way he’s been trialling, against much better horses, makes him very hard to beat,” says Green.
“It’s not ideal drawing the second row, where he is at the mercy of the ones in front of him, and he might get fired up in his first race, but he seems a lot more settled this time in.”
Tommy Lincoln is drawn to follow out Whisky Neat, trained and driven by Butcher’s son Zachary who can be expected to make good use of the pole and at least try to hold his spot.
Tommy Lincoln proved to be a very capable front-runner last campaign and, thrown in with the bear cats, managed a third in the Derby Prelude behind Copy That and One Change.
Franco Nandor (Andrew Drake) … led throughout his workout win last Friday and staved off Captain Nemo.Franco Nandor is the stable’s best chance in race five, drawn to be in the fight from the get-go.
“He trialled really well last Friday and pulled up well,” says Green.
“He’s coming to it and won’t have to be very good to beat that lot.”
Franco Nandor ran only fifth one resuming two weeks ago but was forced to face the breeze throughout and from two on the gate on Wednesday night should get a gun run.
“He looks our best chance in the race on paper,” says Green.
“Captain Nemo is still a bit gormless, and doesn’t have the smarts like the other guy. He might need a bit more experience before we see the best of him but he could still win.”
Captain Nemo beat Franco Nandor home last time, when fourth, but didn’t accelerate from the one-one trip like he should have. He has drawn awkwardly in five this time.
There might be some side bets on the pair regardless between top golfers Ryan Fox (Franco Nandor) and Gareth Paddison (Captain Nemo) who were gifted shares in the horses by Lincoln Farms’ boss John Street after finishing one-two in the recent Wairakei Invitational.
More news in Harness
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Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Cheapie Johnny Lincoln a “proper” racehorse who can foot it with the Million bluebloods
Bang! Lincoln Wave’s tyre blows out, startling rival drivers but Alabar win would shock more
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
