Out on his own at the finish, Lincoln La Moose surprised with his toughness. PHOTO: Ange Bridson/Race Images.
Rampaging La Moose growing on Ray and right-handed shouldn’t be a worry
By Barry Lichter • 17 April 2024
Trainer Ray Green admits he was quite surprised when Lincoln La Moose ran away for an easy win on debut at Cambridge.
But, while the three-year-old steps up in company at Auckland on Friday night, Green believes he can go on with the good form.
“When they’re having their first start you never know quite what they’ll do but I wasn’t expecting him to race so tough.”
Lincoln La Moose, for so long too delicate to push, galloped round the first turn, going back to share the rear before driver Andre Poutama was forced to let him run at the 1600 because “he was over-racing like a loose cannon.”
Despite having to sit parked, Lincoln La Moose cleared right out from T Bone Walker in the run home to score by three and three-quarter lengths in a very respectable 2:42.6.
“He seems to be one of those horses who puts their best foot forward when the money is up,” Green said.
“Right-handed shouldn’t bother him and he’d have to be in it again from the good draw.”
Green gave the Art Major colt a blow-out at the Pukekohe trials last Thursday given he won’t have raced for a month - and he liked what he saw.
Last at the 400, Lincoln La Moose unwound strongly for Poutama to finish only a length and a half from winner Sunshine Shelby on a 28.9 final quarter.
Speedy Debbie
Two-year-old Debbie Lincoln, who debuts from the pole in the Young Guns fillies’ heat on Friday night, also caught the eye at the same trials meeting.
Out fast from the inside draw, she set up a big early lead on five Steve and Amanda Telfer-trained babies and fought strongly in the run home, bowing only late to Iron Heart.
“She has a lot of ability but that’s the first time she’s got round without galloping. If she can do that again I’ll be happy.
“She’s a little bit nervy but we seem to be getting on top of that.”
Green said he was not expecting the Lather Up filly to beat the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained favourites given how much she has to learn.
“But I think she’ll be a tidy filly when she develops further. She’s certainly got the speed.”
Leo Lincoln paced under 2:40 at Cambridge last start. PHOTO: Ange Bridson/Race Images.Leo Lincoln, the third runner for Lincoln Farms on Friday night, won no friends with his trial last Thursday, finishing sixth and well behind Duchess Megxit. But Green said he was prepared to forgive the run given he was only there for a hit-out and the top class filly dashed her last quarter in 26.5.
Leo Lincoln is the lowest rated horse in the R48 to R60 race but as a consequence gets the inside draw, an identical scenario to his last start at Cambridge.
And, from the trail that night he bowed only late to brilliant finisher Little Spike and Vessem, running a blistering 2:39.6.
“He’ll go well again,” Green said.
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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.”
