Perfect Stride has a head on Man Of Action at Pukekohe today with Sir Tiger a promising third.
Perfect Stride new top dog as Double Or Nothing gets the unkindest cut of all
By Barry Lichter • 10 November 2018
Chicago Bull’s brother Perfect Stride has shot to the top of the charts for the first Young Guns heat at Auckland in five weeks.
That’s because when the Bettor’s Delight colt led all the way to win his qualifying heat at Pukekohe today his No. 1 sparring mate was missing, probably feeling a little sorry for himself in a nearby paddock at Lincoln Farms.
Double Or Nothing was gelded this week, his raging hormones getting the better of him, and trainer Ray Green has given him two weeks off to get over the unkindest cut of all.
“It’s disappointing because I love keeping them colts - they are stronger - but his hormones started kicking in and he just wasn’t concentrating.
“He was looking to run off during his work, laying in on other horses, and just being a typical colt starting to think about other things, screaming out to the fillies.’’
Double Or Nothing shows his style.Green says Double Of Nothing, whose stable name is Louie, wasn’t holding his condition very well either, obviously carrying on like a teenage boy.
“Providing he comes through the gelding all right he’ll be jogging again in a couple of weeks and then he’ll be back into it.’’
Green anticipates Double Or Nothing won’t be ready in time to contest the first Young Guns heat on December 14 but will be back on top of his game come the second heat on New Year’s Eve.
Green expects Double Or Nothing will pick up condition now he’s been gelded, just like stablemate Man Of Action, who ran Perfect Stride to a head in today’s mile heat.
“He was getting impossible to handle as a colt, putting the boot in all the time, but he boomed afterwards and his manners are now impeccable.’’
Handled by Maurice McKendry today, Man Of Action was the complete professional, trailling all the way, before pulling out to challenge 400 metres out.
He was travelling well at the finish of the heat, run in a slick 2:04.9, the same time recorded by Double Or Nothing when he beat Perfect Stride in their last workout clash.
Just a length back in third came Lincoln Farms’ Sir Tiger, whose effort was perhaps the most encouraging of all, staying with his stablemates through closing sectionals of 59.4 and 28.3, sprinting up three wide at the 400m.
Driver Andrew Sharpe said the horse “felt super.”
“He obviously got tired late but it was the first time he’s been asked to go that speed and the first time against those other horses.’’
Green wasn’t surprised by the run, going on his recent trackwork when the big horse has shown marked improvement.
By Lincoln Farms’ own stallion Sir Lincoln, Sir Tiger is the third foal out of Tigers Delight, whose dam Tigerish won 15 races and $491,000 for Pam and Lindsay Turner.
Lincoln Farms raced the best of Tigerish’s progeny, Justa Tiger, who won nine races for Green.
But he still has a way to go to catch Perfect Stride who continues to impress with the way he goes about his work, driver Zachary Butcher not having to ask him for his best today.
All three Lincoln Farms’ horses qualified, pacing under the required time of 2:06.4.
Perfect Stride leads Man Of Action and Sir Tiger with a lap to run in their mile qualifying heat at Pukekohe today.
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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.”
