Major Achievement (Andre Poutama) scores his first win at Cambridge. PHOTO: Ange Bridson.
Penny drops for Major Achievement as loyal Lincoln Farms’ bunch cheers him home
By Barry Lichter • 9 September 2023
Trainer Ray Green was delighted to see Major Achievement get home at Cambridge for some of Lincoln Farms’ most loyal supporters.
But while the Art Major four-year-old scored comfortably enough over the favourite Harold Hanover, Green admitted there was a time when he feared the horse would never make it.
Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, the nine women Excell Syndicate, Lance Myocevich, the Red and Blue Syndicate, Margaret Rabbitt, the Four Legs Syndicate and Trevor Casey didn’t have much to be excited about early on.
“He was very slow on the uptake,” Green said. “Taller than most he was a slow maturer but more than that it took him a long time to get gaited up.
“But we gave him time to find his feet and he’s come to it now.
“He needs to sharpen his act up further but he will keep improving.”
Green said Major Achievement hadn’t been racing badly before Thursday’s win which was at his seventh start.
“He’s been going some good races with no luck and being a bit green has also cost him. But he got a super trip on Thursday and was good enough to take advantage of it.”
What had looked to be a bad draw, wide out on the gate, morphed into a good one as lead changes saw him promoted from four back in the running line to the one-one sit.
And when driver Andre Poutama unleashed him turning for home he finished best to score by three-quarters of a length.
Major Achievement, who is out of the Soky’s Atom mare Atom Queen, cost just $30,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale in Christchurch.
An embryo transplant half brother to Upanatom (27 wins) and Zacharia (12 wins), he is from the Tuapeka Lodge family of Maureen’s Dream, whose daughter Reality Check left big winners Ultimate Sniper (14 wins) and Ultimate Machete (13 wins).
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
