Our boy Tommy makes the cut for the Inters but he’ll have to make do with a trial to fit him
By Barry Lichter • 22 November 2023
Trainer Mark Dux is confident Tommy Lincoln will strip fit for the upcoming Interdominion series in Brisbane despite not being able to start him in a lead-up race.
Lincoln Farms’ six-year-old was sitting 26th when final rankings were released today for the 36-horse pacing championship.
A slew of defections, including all 10 of leading trainer Emma Stewart’s entries, saw just 49 horses remaining, with final acceptances taken on Monday when it will become known if tired New Zealand Trotting Cup winner Swayzee will take his place or not.
There will be no New Zealand-trained runners at the carnival with no trotters listed and the sole remaining pacer, Lincoln Farms’ Simply Sam, not making the trip.
But there are a number of former Kiwis, including Tommy Lincoln, who has won eight races campaigning in Queensland since June, 2021.
Dux had planned to give Tommy Lincoln a prep race, given he has not been seen since April, but not enough horses accepted either last week or this week to get the races off the ground.
So Dux will revert to trialling the horse at Albion Park on Friday instead.
“He’ll have a nice, sold trial, without killing him, and that should have him ready. He only needs one good blowout as he comes to hand quickly.”
Tommy Lincoln has already shown he has come back in great order when a five metre second in a 1660 metre trial on November 6 when winner Make Mine Memphis was credited with a sizzling mile rate of 1:50.6, a figure which Dux doubts is correct.
And, while Dux knows Tommy Lincoln isn’t up to beating series favourite Leap To Fame, he believes the horse will cope with the rigorous competition as well as any of his rivals.
Runners must race three times in eight days, the heats run on Friday, December 1, Tuesday, December 5 and Saturday, December 9, with the A$500,000 Ladbrokes Pacing Grand Final a week later.
“I don’t think it will worry him too much. He’s a pretty good doing horse. The third heat over 2680 metres will be the worst race for him (he failed three times in as many attempts over 2700 metres in New Zealand) but not many horses will come through it smiling.”
Dux is hoping Tommy can get a good draw in the opening round when he will be best suited by the 1660 metre sprint.
“A good draw would make a big difference but we won’t be driving him like a good thing. We’ll drive him conservatively.
“It’s been a bit frustrating not getting a race into him but I’m more than happy with where he’s at.”
The final rankings for the trotting and pacing series can be found here.
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Ray cautions punters with no lead this time for Jekyll and Hyde colt Prince Lincoln
Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
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.”
