Moose is no goose - he’ll just need a Zachary special at Auckland on Friday night

Lincoln La Moose looks the best chance of giving Lincoln Farms owners John and Lynne Street the chance to present the winning trophy to themselves and their partners after the opening race at Auckland on Friday night.

Lincoln La Moose and Obadiah Dragon might have niggly front line draws in the Lincoln Farms Pace but both are racing well enough to feature.

Lincoln La Moose, rated seven points higher than Obadiah Dragon, is on an improving curve and was just a head and half a length behind last week’s winner Semba and stablemate Lincoln Lou in a competitive 1700 metre event.

In just his third start in a new preparation, the Art Major three-year-old enjoyed the trail throughout from his pole position and kept fighting to the line for driver Zachary Butcher.

Alexandra Park’s top driver won’t get it so easy from six on Friday night but after only six starts the Cambridge debutant winner is showing he is ready to score his first win at northern headquarters.

“He’s a nice little horse who is racing well,” says trainer Ray Green.

“I expect more of the same and I don’t see why he won’t be a decent winning chance.

“He’s a slightly better horse than Obadiah Dragon but he also raced well the other night even though only eighth.”

Eased back at the start, Obadiah Dragon had only three behind him turning for home and, though forced four wide, made solid ground to be only 4.7 lengths from the winner.

“He has a little bit of gate speed if you want it,” Green said.

The Lincoln Farms’ pair will have serious opposition, however, from the Stonewall Stud trio, J T Boe, Delightful Chic and Secrets Abound, who turned in the run of the race last week, coming from last for a close sixth and pacing the fastest closing sectionals of 56.4 and 27.2.

Green takes a new runner to the races for the first time in the second event but he’s not expecting Kevin Kline to do much on debut.

The Always B Miki gelding is the sole two-year-old in the field and is landed with a second row draw, neither a recipe for success.

“We won’t be looking to put him into the race from the second row. Hopefully he’ll get a suck along and we’ll see where he gets.”

Green said it was “a bit of a stab in the dark” trying to evaluate how the youngster will go.

“It’s a big ask for him first time at the races but I don’t think he’ll disgrace us. We know he’s all right. He’ll develop into a nice horse and, while I’m not expecting anything, it wouldn’t surprise me if he did get some of it.”

Kevin Kline has had five workouts, winning his last two. He worked to the lead and was run down into second in a trial at Pukekohe last Thursday, the closing sectionals in 58.7 and 29.1.

My Copy faces some much higher rated rivals in the sixth race, an R56 pacer against Fernleigh Cash (R70), Triple G (R65) and Artisan (R61).

“But he’ll go his usual honest race,” Green said. “He raced well a few starts ago against this sort of field and he got home really well last start.

“He hasn’t gone a bad race this time in.”

Green said stable battler Commander Lincoln was looking to get lucky in the final race for amateurs.

“It’s not a race I’d want to bet on if I was a punter. Any of them could win.”