Louie LeBeau and Sugar Apple primed for bold runs at Auckland on Thursday night
By Barry Lichter • 3 August 2021
Promising two-year-olds Sugar Apple and Louie LeBeau give Lincoln Farms a solid two-pronged attack on the sixth race at Auckland on Thursday night.
Both horses are coming off back-to-back workout wins at Pukekohe, Louie LeBeau set to debut from the second row and Sugar Apple resuming from five on the gate.
Over the mobile mile, Sugar Apple gets the chance to probe for the lead, having shown high gate speed at his last start when leading the Two-Year-Old Emerald field at Cambridge in early June.
But trainer Ray Green says he’ll be happy to see the Sweet Lou colt take a trail.
“The raw ability is there he just needs to get stronger. He can’t cop too much pressure at the moment but if he gets sucked along and pounces on them he’s quite effective.
Sugar Apple in high spirits at Cambridge on Harness Jewels day when he led the Two-Year-Old Emerald.“His half brother American Dealer was the same. He used to need a trip to beat the good horses but he showed in Queensland that he can take it to them now. This little guy theoretically is the same.”
Last Saturday at Pukekohe Sugar Apple came from the trail to outsprint his rivals in a 2050 metre heat, home in 56.8 and 27.5, while he led all the way the previous Friday, sprinting home in 56.3.
Louie LeBeau has also impressed in his two workouts this time in, leading in the first, then coming from last with a sweeping home turn sprint that carried him to a half length win.
Green describes the American Ideal youngster as a nice colt with good gait and manners.
“He’s got stronger and will continue to as he’s still growing. He’s a lovely horse with raw ability and it’s hard to know just yet how far he’ll take us.
“Two on the second row might not be the worst place for him as he can get fired up. This is his first night at the races but he should still go well.”
Lincoln Farms’ third runner, Arden’s Horizon, takes on the older horses in the second race and is hugely disadvantaged drawn the outside of the front line over the mile.
“But he’s a strong colt with a bit of class about him,” says Green. “If he can get a decent run into it, he won’t be far away.
“I certainly don’t see him burning out from eight. He’ll be looking for a trip and if he gets some luck he’s a chance.”
Arden’s Horizon, who never got into the action on Jewels day from a second row draw, has looked sharp in his two recent workout placings, sprinting stylishly when just photo-finished by Be My Rose and Miss Hathaway last Saturday.
Two starts back he looked unlucky not to finish closer than sixth behind Suntan, held up 100 metres out when motoring home from the back.
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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.”
