Double Or Nothing is closing nicely for third at the finish of his fast-run trial last Friday.
Only a tricky second row draw stops Hayden from labelling Double Or Nothing on Thursday
By Barry Lichter • 7 January 2020
A sterling trial has driver Hayden Barnes feeling bullish about Double Or Nothing’s Queensland debut at Albion Park on Thursday.
“From a good draw I would have been confident of winning but it’s going to be tricky from the outside of the second row,” says Barnes.
“But he feels like a really nice horse and he’ll be fitter for his trial.”
Having his first serious test over 1660 metres last Friday since arriving in Queensland, Barnes didn’t hurry Double Or Nothing out of the gate from the pole, happy to settle three deep on the markers.
And when he asked him to run up the home straight Double Or Nothing responded well to minimal urging from Barnes to finish third, 5.3 metres from the winner Macey Jayde (10 wins), with My Secret Beach (9 wins) second.
“I was happy to run about 1:56,” says Barnes. “So he did well considering they went 1:54.4. I was really happy with him and he hit the line well.”
On closing sectionals of 55.6 and 28, Double Or Nothing made ground strongly on the leading pair who are rated significantly higher - Macey Jayde an R78 horse and My Secret Beach an R72.
As an R59 pacer, Double Or Nothing is easily the highest rated in Thursday’s field, although Barnes points out fresh runner Amaya Becomes, who leaves from gate six, was a promising two-year-old last season. And another useful sort is Cheeseandkisses who made up more than 13 metres on the leaders in the last 800 metres last Friday.
“But if we get a good trip we’ll be right there.”
Double Or Nothing, Mr Consistency with two wins and 11 placings from 20 starts, has not raced since December 5 when he started favourite at Cambridge but weakened late to seventh after leading.
Fast sectionals
Sir Tiger, who runs two races later in 53 to 58 class, might have an indifferent form line but it hides several recent useful efforts, including his third last Friday.
Driving Sir Tiger quietly, Barnes had him at the rear, four back in the running line, and didn’t ask him to run until approaching the home turn when he came widest.
Sir Tiger’s closing sectionals were easily the fastest in the race last week - 55.25 and 26.96.Sir Tiger’s late burst was a feature of the race and saw him run easily the fastest sectionals, his last 800 in 55.25 and 400 in 26.96.
“I knew he’d hit the line well but I didn’t think he’d gone that well until I saw the splits,” says Barnes.
Sir Tiger’s finishing burst saw him close strongly on hot favourite Another Statement to be just 8.3 metres away.
Barnes says Sir Tiger seems to be responding to a new training regime were he makes sure the horse finishes his work charging to the line, feeling good in himself.
“And he is getting better which is a positive.”
Drawn five on Thursday, Barnes will be hoping to settle as handy as he can without using Sir Tiger at the start.
“It’s an even field but with some luck he can be right there at the finish.”
Double Or Nothing runs at 5.28pm NZ time at Albion Park on Thursday.
Sir Tiger runs at 6.38pm NZ time at Albion Park on Thursday.
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“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.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“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. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“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.”
