Lincoln Wave poised for cheeky showing at Auckland on Friday night despite ratings

On ratings, Lincoln Wave looks to be up against it at Auckland on Friday night but don’t be surprised to see the progressive pacer go close anyway.

Lincoln Farms’ co-trainer Ray Green knows that, on paper, Lincoln Wave (R54) and his stablemate Sugar Ray Lincoln (R51) don’t look well placed taking on Jeremiah (R80) and American Me (R79) off even marks in a six-horse mobile.

But Green is hoping the race fitness of Lincoln Wave ($5.50) will tell over Jeremiah ($1.85), who has not raced for eight months, and nine-year-old American Me ($4.50), who is in the twilight of his career.

”If he gets a half decent trip, Lincoln Wave is the one to beat,” said Green who reminded punters his form line looks patchy only because his two recent failures have been from standing starts.

“Jeremiah has trialled twice but might not be as sharp as he can be while we are hard fit.”

Green said to take no notice of last week’s debacle at Cambridge when Lincoln Wave ran last of 10 and Sugar Ray Lincoln finished fifth. The five-minute delay when Social Distancing played up ruined the chances of both horses.

“That start was disgusting. That horse (Social Distancing) should have been scratched far sooner.

“Sugar Ray got fired up with the long delay and, after he went forward to get a position, Fergie was just a passenger. When they pull that hard they don’t run on.”

For a horse like Lincoln Wave, who is learning how to cope behind the tapes, the continued circling and standing was also too much and, after being squeezed between two runners, he lost it.

“You can ignore that race and I’m expecting good runs from both horses on Friday. Lincoln Wave has more speed than Sugar Ray and, if he can cross from three and lead, he’ll be hard to beat.”

Prince Lincoln bolts home at Cambridge last week. PHOTO: Ange Bridson/Race Images.Serious winning chance

Green says Prince Lincoln is a serious winning chance regardless of which race he starts in. Bookies have priced the three-year-old at $8.50 for the Metro Final (race seven), for which he is first emergency and a $4.20 favourite for the fifth race.

And while Prince Lincoln would have to contend with a second row in the richer race, Green says that’s were he’ll start if he gets a scratching.

“You don’t get to race for $35,000 very often so we’d take a punt on that one. He’s not just winning, he’s demolishing them.”

If nothing pulls out of the Metro Final, Green fancies Prince Lincoln will go forward from his outside gate in the fifth race and try to dominate again in front.

Prince Lincoln led from seven last week in a R36 to R45 race at Cambridge when he gapped his rivals with a sizzling 1:55.6 mile rate for the 2200 metres. This week’s opposition is R39 to R48.

Lincoln Farms lines up three runners in the fifth race with Lincoln Maree ($34, $6) and Angelic Copy ($91, $11) long in the market.

Lincoln Maree did just what Green suspected she might last week, sustaining a solo run four wide from the 600 to take second prize behind Hes Not That Into U.

“She’s such a tough little filly who tries so hard. I wish I had one with speed with those qualities.

“It would be nice if they go hard, and she gets a suck along, then she might get a small piece of it. She never goes a bad race.”

Green says Angelic Copy’s form is better than it looks on paper.

“She’s been going all right but she keeps getting awkward draws and getting pushed back to the rear.

“Because of her initial success (as a two-year-old) she’s been badly off in the ratings but she’s slowly losing points.”

Angelic Copy gets another bad draw on Friday, in six, two spots outside ultra-impressive Cambridge winner Lucky Luka ($4.60).

Jessie Lincoln ($15, $3.20) will need to find some improvement on her Cambridge sixth to threaten a promising looking bunch in the third race.

“She normally runs on better but, after looking like she was going to round them up on the turn, she just flattened out.

“But she’ll be hovering around there somewhere.”