Man Of Action lives up to his name - his blazing gate speed a good weapon for Brisbane
By Barry Lichter • 13 October 2020
Trainer Al Barnes is hoping he can get a few more horses like Man Of Action from Lincoln Farms after his gutsy all-the-way win at Albion Park today.
In just his third start in Queensland, Man Of Action showed a torrent of gate speed to claim the front and lead all the way at the good odds of $6.
“He’s just the right type of horse to race here,” said Barnes. “He has gate speed and a bit of heart.
“And he’s honest, so he’s going to do a good job here.”
Man Of Action won only twice in New Zealand from 19 starts but he was a consistent placegetter, form which he is already franking in Brisbane.
Man Of Action fights bravely to stave off Our Balou and the fast-finishing Soho Tsunami.At his first start he led until one stride from home and at second time of asking he was held up in the trail by the weakening leader before powering home for second.
Today, driver Hayden Barnes took bad luck out of play when he put the accelerator down out of the gate and easily crossed the three horses inside him.
“That’s where you’ve got to be at the moment with the way the track’s playing. They’re just not winning from the back.”
Man Of Action got away with relatively sedate sectionals, running only 57.1 for his last 800 and 29.2 for the 400, but his fast 27.9 third quarter took his rivals out of play.
And with the mile rate for the 2138 metres only 1:58.3, it made it hard for the late closers to catch him, parked runner Our Balou holding second, a neck away, with a head to the fast-finishing Soho Tsunami.
“It was a nice win and Hayden was happy, he said the horse put in well.
“He’ll go through the grades and win his share here.”
That will be good news to the big group which races the four-year-old which includes John and Lynne Street, the Chissos & Wack Syndicate, Steve Beckett, Kevin Bell, Michael Brereton, Marilyn Brown, Margaret Rabbitt, the Green Machine Racing Syndicate and Athenry Syndicate.
* Resuming stable star Northview Hustler has drawn badly, one from the outside in Saturday night’s seventh race, with state champion Colt Thirty One outside him.
More news in Harness
Debbie lands Golden draw at last in her bid to give Sampson a haircut at the Park
Spiritual Bliss and Lincoln Maree add to Lincoln Farms’ gallery of Manawatu heroes
Video clue on why Lincoln Lover is tipped to go boldly fresh-up at Auckland on Friday night
A picture of Bliss but poor Harry’s arms were nearly pulled out of their sockets
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 3: Lincoln Downs
6.22pm
“She got home really well on the second night at Manawatu and gets a good draw here. There’s not much exposed form in the race so it’s hard to know how she compares but she’ll win one.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Debbie Lincoln
7.01pm
“I thought she went super again last week with no luck and we’ve got a decent draw for a change so you have to like her chances. She’s been getting in on the corners, so we’ve added a Murphy blind.”
Race 3: Tyson
7.01pm
“I was impressed by the way he hung on to Captain Sampson and Greased Lightnin last week. They’re strong sprinters and it was only a sprint up the straight. He’ll need things to go his way from six.”
Race 3: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.01pm
“It was his first run for a while last week and he probably needed another trial. But we thought we might as well race him to set him up for this week. The outside draw of eight doesn’t help.”
Race 9: Lincoln Lover
9.55pm
“He’s not as sharp as our other two but he’s a game little bugger. He’ll win races for sure.”
Race 9: Prince Lincoln
9.55pm
“I thought he went really well last week. He’d had only one trial and was a bit fresh so it was understandable that he got tired the last bit. That will tighten him up and I’m expecting him to race well. He’s trained on well since.”
Race 9: Johnny Lincoln
9.55pm
“Prince has the wood on Johnny but he’ll still go well. He found the line well last week. It was his first run for a while too, and his first as a gelding.”
