Lincoln Farms’ team struck by bug but this one looks OK to rocknroll at Cambridge

Beaudiene Rocknroll will be the sole runner for Lincoln Farms at Cambridge on Thursday night, seemingly having dodged the bug that is doing the rounds at Pukekohe.

And, with the best draw of his fledgling nine-start career, trainer Ray Green is hoping he can visit the winner’s circle again, like he did on the course in June.

“We’ve got a bit of sickness here at the moment, with snotty noses, but he seems OK,” Green said.

“I haven’t done all their bloods but we know of seven or eight who have got it. The weather has been so changeable, as well as wet and cold, but luckily this bug hasn’t been as bad as usual.

“In the past it’s been quite debilitating, and has lingered for months, but this one seems to last only a couple of weeks.”

Green suspects the stable’s recent quiet run has reflected the pesence of the often invisible enemy with a number of below par runs from the likes of Simply Sam.

“Lincoln River has snot pouring out of him now too. He’s had some hard racing and when you stress them a bit they seem to pick it up easier.

“We’ve just got to back off them a bit but I can’t see any reason why not to race Beaudiene Rocknroll, he seems fine.

“Two is the best draw he’s ever had, and it’s only 1700 metres, so he’s a definite winning chance.”

The only time Beaudiene Rocknroll has drawn a decent alley in his nine starts was when he fibrillated at Auckland in June and was pulled up.

In his other eight starts he has started from five, six three times, nine twice, 11 and 12.

Given he led easily from six when winning at Cambridge five starts ago, he should have little trouble crossing the pole runner on Thursday.

And with talented front-running driver Andre Poutama in the hot seat again, Green can see the three-year-old being hard to run down.

Two weeks ago at Cambridge, after using plenty of petrol spearing out of the gate to lead, he hung in doggedly in the home stretch to run a close third to Miki Miksta and Cyren Shard, clocking a respectable 2:43.9 for the 2200 metres in terrible conditions.

Beaudiene Rocknroll, who is raced by Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street, breeders Dave and Dawn Kennedy and Melbourne’s Merv and Meg Butterworth, had an interrupted start to his career when, after just two races at two, he broke a pedal bone and had to be spelled for six months.

He is a half brother to 22-race winner Beaudiene Bad Babe.