Our brave Tommy leaves them standing and gives owners a sniff of an Interdominion tilt
By Barry Lichter • 21 January 2023
Tommy Lincoln’s owners might have had to wait 10 months to see his all-the-way win at Albion Park tonight but trainer Mark Dux believes they have plenty more fun in store with the six-year-old.
And he hinted that if the six-year-old is still hale and hearty come the end of the year they might just get to experience the thrill of racing a horse in an Interdominion series.
“The Interdoms are in our back yard in December and if he’s still here and fit and well, we can throw in a nomination and see what happens.
“It’s not like we’d be putting him in just to make up numbers as we know he can run the time.
“Realistically he can’t beat a horse like Copy That but anything can happen in a race and, if he draws an alley, we know he can follow speed no matter how fast they run.
“He’s just below the very best because he needs everything to go his way but he’s more than competitive with the right trip.”
Tommy Lincoln is also very tough, a trait demanded of Interdominion runners who usually compete four times in two weeks.
Mathew Neilson looks across but has the favourite Manila Playboy well covered.“Even though he doesn’t win a lot, he comes out and runs fast times every week. He was only sixth and fourth in his last two races but they were a couple of his better runs considering the quality of horses he’s been racing and the runs he’s been getting.
“For a change he got a good draw tonight and he won it with no dramas, ran good time, and Mathew didn’t even pull the plugs.”
Dropping his opposition with a 27.3 third quarter, driver Mathew Neilson shot clear rounding the bend to record a mile rate of 1:52.8 for the 1660 metres.
“Mathew knew he had the danger (Manila Playboy) out the back and it had to run real fast sectionals to catch him.
“It was funny tonight, he said as soon as he led, the horse relaxed and dropped the bit. He didn’t know if that was good or bad but, as soon as he got down the back, he knew he had plenty of horse.”
Though Manila Playboy made up many lengths from last at the 400, Tommy Lincoln’s 55.8 dash home was too much for the favourite who couldn’t get any closer than 4.6 metres at the line.
Tommy’s winning purse of A$8832 took his Australian earnings to A$94,390 which, added to his New Zealand bankroll of $85,558 took him to within a couple of thousand dollars of $200,000 in career earnings.
“It takes a nice horse to win 15 races and get to that level.”
More news in Harness
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Big-spending Mike Tanev snares The Rascal and he’s off to Canada next week
Dreams Of Eric goes from black and blue to blue and white, now for Harness 5000
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
