Sweet Lou colt Lincoln Lou has earned a break.
Lincoln Lou coming home for a break but remaining trio headed to Ashburton features
By Barry Lichter • 16 October 2024
Lincoln Lou is coming home to rest up after bashing his knee in the Two-Year-Old Harness Million.
Lincoln Farms’ speedy colt disputed the early lead in the $200,000 feature at Addington last Friday night and was handy in the running when he broke entering the home straight on the first lap and galloped his way back to the rear.
Lincoln Lou had to be steadied when he paced roughly again 850 metres out and he finished last, 25 lengths from the winner Marketplace.
The uncharacteristic performance was explained immediately afterwards when driver Sam Thornley told Green the colt had hit his knee.
“I’ve no idea why it’s suddenly become a problem,” Green said. “But something strange has happened to make him hammer his knee.
“He has a bit of fill in the knee, it’s not too bad, but I’d hate him to do it again while it’s like this so he can go home and have a month off.
“He hasn’t had a decent break and he’s a great little horse so I want to do the right thing by him.”
Green said Lincoln Lou’s action would be monitored when he resumed work and, if necessary, he would be fitted with spreaders.
The remaining three of Lincoln Farms’ southern team have pleased since their campaign openers at Addington and will progress to Ashburton on Monday week.
The Big Lebowski advanced his cup ranking from 35 to 32 with his all-the-way domination but will need to win or place in the $60,000 Flying Stakes to have any chance of making the 15-horse cut.
“He’s a beautiful big horse who glides along and covers the ground, loping along as if it’s nothing. John Morrison said he could have gone another lap the other night.”
Sugar Ray Lincoln, who made good ground in the Two-Year-Old Harness Million for sixth, will contest the final Sires’ Stakes heat at Ashburton while Green will make a late payment to get Frisco Bay into the $50,000 Sires’ Stakes Sophomore Classic (mobile 1700m) for three-year-olds.
Frisco Bay caught the eye last Friday with his late run for a close third behind the highly regarded Renegade, recording the fastest closing sectionals of 56.05 and 26.84.
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.”
