Muddled Im Not The Maid can serve it up to them this time at Cambridge on Tuesday
By Barry Lichter • 19 August 2024
Novice three-year-old Im Not The Maid had a legitimate excuse for finishing only fourth at Cambridge last week.
And while Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green says the filly is no champion, he believes she can finish in the money in the third race there on Tuesday night.
Punters who sent out Im Not The Maid second favourite last Tuesday were on good terms with themselves when driver Andre Poutama looped the field to lead down the back straight the first time.
But, having only her second start, the filly shied at an infield lighting generator near the 1200 metres and galloped turning into the home straight.
Im Not The Maid is leading but shies at the infield generator and turns her head before galloping.It was more than 100 metres later before she hit her hopples again, finding herself three back on the markers and basically out of winning contention.
While 10 lengths from the third horse at the finish, Poutama didn’t persevere with the horse down the home straight when a clear fourth.
“It was just one of those things,” Green said. “Hopefully it won’t happen again. She generally does things right, she’s pretty honest.
“She’s in a grade where she’ll be one of the hardest to beat and it’s a pretty average bunch.”
Green said Im Not The Maid, who finished a good second on debut, sprint-laned only by hot favourite Papenhuyzen, had trained on well.
She starts from six, for the third time in a row, but has shown enough early tactical speed to find a competitive position.
The two draw should ensure stable battler Commander Lincoln also secures a good spot in the running in the opening race for amateurs.
Commander Lincoln’s best form has been in the weaker amateur races and two starts back he powered home to be beaten only a neck and a head by race rival Desert Dawn at Auckland.
The four-year-old contested a stronger junior drivers’ race last time at Cambridge and, while capably handled by Fergus Schumacher, only battled into seventh.
“The boy drove him well. He is what he is. He lacks a yard of speed. You just feed him the track and see what happens.”
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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.”
