Lincoln Lover, centre, is only a neck behind subsequent Group I winner Allamericanplayer, outer, at Auckland in March.
Punters quick to join Fergie in consummating his affair with Lincoln Lover at Auckland
By Barry Lichter • 10 September 2025
Forget the form line, Lincoln Lover is going well enough to beat his older rivals at Auckland on Friday night.
It didn’t take too long for punters to snap up the $5.50 odds on the Bettor’s Delight colt, weight of the early money caving his odds to $4.40 in a non-winners’ race that looks leagues below the quality he met in last week’s Sires’ Stakes heat.
Not for the first time in three runs this prep, driver Peter Ferguson found himself in a non-winnable position, out the back from a wide draw and still there 400 metres from home.
But the little colt still finished on well for 10th, his closing sectionals of 57.7 and 28.2 bettered only by winner Cyclone Rebel and War Chief.
The effort did nothing to dim the love affair Fergie has with Lincoln Lover, who in his previous two starts was starved for room up the straight when a close sixth behind Special Occasion, and sat parked for the last lap before finishing only two lengths behind Andretti, Prince Lincoln and Alecto.
“His last start was a complete non-event, it was only a sprint up the straight,” Green said. “With any kind of a trip on Friday he’ll show them more of what he can do.
“Lincoln Linda has more speed than him but he’s got the manners and he tries like hell.”
Lincoln Linda ($5.50) is surprisingly tight in the market given her antics in last week’s Sires Stakes hear for fillies when she was virtually unrestrainable four wide, then three wide with no cover for the remainder of the race.
“It was all self inflicted,” Green said. “She gets herself so wound up.
“The weird thing is that in front she’s lovely, and drops the bit, but getting there is the hardest part. We’ve had problems with her missing the start when she’s a bit awkward.
“If she did things right, and could lead from one, I can’t see how they’d beat her, but that’s a big question mark.
“She trained well on Tuesday so she’s in good shape.”
Generous odds
Another who has pleased Green in training this week is Debbie Lincoln ($19, $3.50) who is at generous odds in the Nevele R Fillies’ heat.
“She tied up on us again after her last start but her bloods are good again so it looks like she’s over that. At her best she’d be a serious chance.
“She could be in need of a race or two to be on the very top of her game but, if she gets a good trip, I could see her being right in it.”
Tyson ($5, $1.70) is always right in it and Green rates him a strong each-way chance in the fourth race.
“He’s looking great and he’s a real slugger. Some people under-rate him but he keeps getting the money.”
Green believes hot favourite Confederate ($2) will need everything to go his way again, after winning from the trail last week.
Tyson, on the other hand, loves nothing better than to tough it out, the parked out spot fast becoming his favourite.
More news in Harness
Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Cheapie Johnny Lincoln a “proper” racehorse who can foot it with the Million bluebloods
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
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.”
