Tommy Lincoln (David Butcher) goes all the way to beat stablemate Man Of Action at Alexandra Park tonight.
Lincoln Farms boss pays tribute to loyal owner after Tommy Lincoln’s all-the-way win
By Barry Lichter • 29 July 2020
Lincoln Farms boss John Street delighted in presenting the prize for Tommy Lincoln’s win tonight to one of his most loyal supporters, Ray Menzies.
Street and his wife Lynne sponsored the race, the Lincoln Farms Pace, and appropriately shared in the ownership of Tommy Lincoln.
But Street happily passed over the wine and glasses set to Menzies whom he thanked for his support over many years.
Ray Menzies … has been coming to the trots at Auckland since the 1970s.Menzies, whose partners in the horse include Shannon and Brenda Flay, Ian, Kathy and Daniel Parkinson, Debbie Sparks, Dennis Ebert and Ian Middleton, said Tommy Lincoln was the best of the horses he’s raced in the Lincoln green colours.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few winners here. My dad raced Diogenes (16 wins) in the late 70s and that’s how long I’ve been coming to the trots at Auckland.”
Menzies, who owned a glass business in Browns Bay for 40 years before his retirement, also had a share in the evergreen Peter Burgess-trained pacer Ball Of Lightning who won 10 races.
Tommy Lincoln, now the winner of four of his 14 starts, may not have that pacer’s longevity but trainer Ray Green is expecting him to win plenty more races.
Shannon Flay gets a hug from Christine Rupp after Tommy Lincoln’s win.“He did the job we expected him to tonight. I don’t think he’s a cup winner - he’s in a tier below the top ones - but he’ll be a nice horse for his owners.”
Bred by Lincoln Farms, from its former mare Tania Tandias who also produced good winners Lincoln Road and Lincoln’s Girl, Tommy Lincoln led all the way in the good time of 2:41.6 to beat his trailing stablemate Man Of Action by one and three-quarter lengths.
“He’s a tough bugger,” said Street. “He’d been beating Copy That at the Pukekohe trials and he finally got the good draw he needed tonight.”
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
