Obadiah Dragon drawn to shake his unlucky tag at Cambridge on Thursday night

Obadiah Dragon has the right draw to end an unlucky run of placings at Cambridge on Thursday night.

The three-year-old might be the lowest rated in the R42 to R54 field but good marker peg trips win races at Cambridge and, from the pole, Obadiah Dragon look set to enjoy a run close to the pace.

That’s something the horse hasn’t had in his recent racing. From five on the gate at Auckland last week, he started a long run from the back at the bell, three wide to the death, still finding plenty for driver Andre Poutama in the stretch. Beaten only half a length and a head, Obadiah Dragon paced a 1:56.3 mile, clocking the fastest last 800 in 55.2.

Obadiah Dragon has looked a good thing beaten in both his last two starts at Cambridge.

On May 31, after starting from gate seven, he was forced to race four back on the pegs and when finally clear in the home run, he burst through the middle to be denied only a nose and a head by Spirit Of Waiheke and Cyren Shard.

And in his previous run on the track, on May 9, he again became buried three back, spending half the home straight going sideways looking for racing room before flying late to run stablemate Leo Lincoln to just over a length.

Trainer Ray Green says you can’t fault the way Obadiah Dragon is racing.

“Yes, the others are higher graded than him but none of them are stars and most of the time at Cambridge the ones who get the good trips win.

“Absolutely he can win. I wouldn’t like to be laying him.”

Andy Sharpe gets stable runner Commander Lincoln in the first heat of the NZ Amateur Drivers’ Championship.Lincoln Farms’ only other runner on Thursday is Commander Lincoln, who looks a place chance in the second race.

It’s the first heat of the New Zealand Amateur Drivers’ Championship and, spookily, despite a random draw, his driver is Lincoln Farms’ own worker Andrew Sharpe.

Sharpe, who has placed in five of his eight drives this season but is looking for just his second win as an amateur, has piloted the horse in each of the three times he has placed at Cambridge.

Brother Craig was on Commander Lincoln when he finished well at Auckland last start for fifth, after being held up briefly early in the run home.

“I thought he went quite well last time and he’s a chance of getting some of it,” Green said.

Most of the field are regular amateur combatants, with the notable exception of Jeremy Young’s consistent mare Gladys Greenland, the likely favourite, to be driven by Warren Rich.