Lincoln Wave scorches in, still on target for richer races and Sammy’s making progress too

Lincoln Wave again showed why co-trainer Ray Green is eyeing lucrative three-year-old targets when he ran a scorching time to win at Auckland on Friday night.

And the way stablemate Sammy Lincoln stomped home for second in his race gave a glimpse of the so far largely hidden talent which could also see the big unit also tilt at derby riches later in the year.

Driven hard off the gate by Andre Poutama, Lincoln Wave fended off an early challenge for the lead then powered up again when the plugs were pulled on the home turn to set up a one and a quarter length margin over runner-up Another Collect.

With a strong last 800 metres in 56.9, the Downbytheseaside colt clocked a sizzling 1:54 flat mile rate, running the 1700 metres in 2:00.4.

Times that fast are seldom seen in the lower grades, like the R40 to R52 race he won and, by comparison exciting talent Doo You Want Me recently won a R49 to R66 1700 in a 2:02.4 mile rate. And when smart mare Francent beat Arafura in the Northern Breeders Stakes last December she clocked only 2:02.7.

Sir Lincoln, pictured winning the Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington, also clocked 1:54 for 1700 metres at Auckland in his last win 13 years ago.Even given a recent track resurfacing and the fact a lot has changed in the 13 years since Lincoln Farms’ best ever pacer Sir Lincoln clocked 2:00.5 in his 21st and last win over Gold Ace, the performance was a real standout for Green.

“The two previous races he won they only went slow and sprinted up the straight but this was more of a test. It was soldily run, he still won, and Andre said he thought he could have found a bit more if he’d had to.

“He’s a nice driving, big horse who only does what he has to, and he showed on Friday night why we’re setting him up for the Cambridge Sires’ Stakes race at Cambridge in two weeks.”

The $50,000 Sires’ Stakes Semi on the Night of Champions on April 10 will attract many of the country’s top three-year-olds but Green is keen for a rematch after Lincoln Wave’s two recent efforts at Auckland.

“He probably wasn’t fit enough for the Alabar Classic and Harness Million and he’s learning all the time.”

Providing he keeps progressing, Green also hopes to tackle the $200,000 Northern Derby at Auckland on May 1 and $200,000 Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on May 22.

That’s a path which will excite Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street and their partners in the horse, Paul Wyatt, Ian Middleton, David Turner and Phil Kelly.

(Let’s) Strike The Gold, pictured with trainer Anthony Butt’s partner Sonya Smith, won 15 races for Lincoln Farms.Great innings

Lincoln Wave’s win continued a great innings Lincoln Farms has enjoyed with his breed over the last decade, starting with his dam Sea Of Gold, a sister to the champ Gold Ace.

“She was a good little mare, a real trier. We had her here for a Woodlands Stud syndicate and she ran third in a stakes race at Auckland (the Delightful Lady Classic) at her third start as a two-year-old.”

The stable also enjoyed plenty of success with Sea Of Gold’s full brother (Let’s) Strike The Gold who won six here and another nine in Australia.

Sea Of Gold’s first foal (Hi) Suga Rush has won nine in West Australia, the latest a week ago, and each of her next three foals have been snapped up by Lincoln Farms.

Lincoln Lou won two here and since his sale to Australia he has notched another three wins while Lincoln Wave’s two-year-old brother Omaha Lincoln is back in training after being gelded and ran a nice second in a workout last Tuesday.

Lincoln Wave, who paid a juicy $6.20 on the tote, now boasts three wins from just six starts and earnings of $32,162.

Work in progress

Sammy Lincoln’s CV isn’t nearly so attractive with three placings from four starts and $5438 in stakes but he’s a work in progress and Green is hoping his path, while different, will still lead to the $300,000 New Zealand Derby at Addington in November.

“Sammy has more speed than Lincoln Wave but he’s not as tractable and just needs practice.”

That was evident again on Friday night when Sammy Lincoln lost any chance of maintaining a handy possie by pacing roughly as the gate released.

“He tried to go too quick out of the gate - he’s a big-gaited horse. We’ll put the hopple shorteners on him next time and he should be fine.

“He’s very fast and powerful and could be a derby horse down the line.”

Despite arriving far too late on Friday night, and being handicapped by his removeable deafeners failing to activate, Sammy Lincoln’s ground-devouring strides carried him to within three-quarters of a length of winner Miss Cherokee at the line.