OK Sammy, lightning bolts aside, Ray’s relying on you to do things right this time

Co-trainer Ray Green knows he’s inviting criticism labelling Sammy Lincoln a stone cold winner at Auckland on Friday night - but he’s happy to put himself in the cross-hairs.

“This is such a huge drop in class there’d have to be a bolt of lightning out of the sky to stop him,” says Green of Sammy’s chances in the fifth race.

“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat.”

Green says had Sammy not “gone a bit goofy” up the home straight last time in the $50,000 Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third.

Sammy Lincoln, inner, just misses third in Lincoln Wave’s Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge after being a bit goofy 100 metres out and hanging.Mounting a run from last on the turn, Sammy hugged the markers, only to hang out 100 metres from home, losing third by a nose to Special Occasion.

But it was still a huge run from a maiden considering he was taking on some highly spruiked three-year-olds and his stablemate Lincoln Wave clocked a 1:53.3 mile rate in winning the 1700 metre feature.

Bookies opened Sammy Lincoln a $1.75 favourite for Friday’s race but have since eased the quote to $1.85 with suppport for the Purdon/Phelan runner War Cry, in from $5 to $4.60.

But you have only to compare War Cry’s last run at Cambridge on April 2 against Sammy Lincoln’s effort the same night to see why Green is so confident:

* War Cry looked very disappointing when leading and trailing in the fillies’ and mares’ maiden, clocking 2:42.8 when third to Miss Brabant.

* Sammy Lincoln, on the other hand, was parked for the last 1100 metres in his race, pacing a ripping 2:39.8 when third to Secret Beach.

Granted, War Cry draws better on Friday night in four, but Green can’t see that stopping Sammy who, like Lincoln Wave, has now qualified and will contest the $200,000 Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on May 22.

Prince Lincoln … working well but has let the side down previously. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.Improver at odds

Lincoln Farms’ five-pronged assault starts on Friday in the opening race when Green is hoping Prince Lincoln can outrun his odds of $14 and $3.50.

Prince Lincoln was having his first start for two and a half months at Auckland on March 27 when he failed to capitalise on a one-one trip, flattening out in the run home to run seventh behind Chanel Noire.

“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”

Sugar Ray Lincoln ($6, $1.60), who was a surprisingly heavily backed 1/4 favourite when resuming at Cambridge, is also an improver for the seventh race.

Slightly slow, but safely away, in his first standing start, Sugar Ray was three wide with no cover when trying to improve as far as 700 metres out and, not surprisingly, faded.

“That was his first run back for a while so I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him.

“He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”

Green says he finds it hard to assess Angelic Copy and Colonel Lincoln who resume from long spells in the third race.

Angelic Copy ($15, $3.30), who won her first three starts as a two-year-old before she was cut down by muscle tie-up and a virus, has not appeared since September 5.

“She seems much better now but it’s her first run for a while so I’m just hoping she gets round all right and pulls up OK.”

Green believes the filly is unfairly having to race in a higher grade than she should after failing to be granted a reassessment.

“She won her first three as a two-year-old racing the same horses and never broke two minutes.”

Angelic Copy has had three workouts, and wasn’t pulled off the winner’s back until very late in the latest, but Green says she will definitely need the run.

Colonel Lincoln … capable but injury-prone stayer back for a third try. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.It was 13 months ago when we last saw Colonel Lincoln ($17, $3.60) when he was to all intents and purposes retired after a second tendon injury.

“The tendon never blew, we got on to it before that happened and, touch wood, there’s no sign of any recurrence so far.”

Green said Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street was keen to try the six-year-old again, given he races the former $200,000 Bettors Delight - Jessie’s Cullen yearling with family members Glenys Street and Bev Glass.

A beautiful animal with a great action, Colonel Lincoln was a favourite of Street’s even before he came back from his first injury to win three races and run four placings in eight starts. He was so tough one night, veteran driver Maurice McKendry declared he’d ‘stay like a mother-in-law’.

“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and has been back in work for three or four months,” Green said. “You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”

Colonel Lincoln has had two workouts in his new prep, Green dismissing his home turn gallop in the second one, putting it down to being “pushed a bit too hard.”