OK Dreamer, enough mucking about, it’s time to wake up and show us what you’ve got

Lincoln Dreamer might have taken his time but now, as a five-year-old, trainer Lisa Latta is hoping he’ll show his true worth.

And while he still needs more ground to show his best, Latta expects him to go close over 1360 metres at Wanganui on Sunday.

Lincoln Dreamer, a $130,000 Ready to Run buy in 2016, showed nothing in his first two preps but fresh-up over 1200 metres at Awapuni last month he hinted it all could be about to change.

Under the bat on the home turn and looking like he was going to run last, the horse suddenly picked up for Ryan Elliot and, switched wider on the track, he put in an eye-catching late burst to get up for third behind clearcut winner Our Chloe.

It was more like the horse Latta knew he could be, and more like his breeding suggested he should be.

By Savabeel, he is out of the good performer Villifye, who won three of her first five starts and at start 10 bagged the Group II Japan-New Zealand Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga.

It’s not until Lincoln Dreamer gets up to at least 1600 metres that Latta expects the horse to really shine but the way he has worked since his July 25 run gives her some confidence that he will be a force on Sunday nevertheless.

“He has trained on very well,” says Latta.

“Ryan will ride him back again and hopefully he can hit the line as well as he did at Awapuni.”

Manhattan Street shows his jumping style when third at Awapuni. PHOTO: Race Images.Manhattan Street makes his steeplechase debut in the third race after two satisfactory attempts over hurdles.

An improver’s third first-up at Awapuni, he was given his chance at Riccarton but found the sticky track beyond him and only plugged into seventh.

He jumped a little high at some fences that day, adding fuel to rider Shaun Fannin’s long held belief the he will make a better steeplechaser.

“Shaun has always felt he would be better steeplechasing, where they run a second or two slower. He certainly performed well over the steeples fences at Awapuni when getting his ticket.

“He doesn’t pull, he just lobs along, so I don’t think the extra distance (3800 metres) will stop him.

“There’s rain in the forecast for the weekend too so he should strike a track to suit.”