Ray confident the improving Apieceoflou will do a good job for his new owners in Australia

Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green never made a secret of the fact he liked Apieceoflou as a racehorse.

So it was with mixed feelings that he said goodbye to the horse yesterday.

The Sweet Lou three-year-old has been sold and flew to Australia where Green says he’s sure he’ll do a good job.

“He could develop into a half decent horse, given time. He’s not up to the good ones at this stage but the buyers will get their money back.”

Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street paid $85,000 for the big, rangy colt at the 2019 Christchurch yearling sale, alerted to his good American pedigree.

Out of Wantapieceofme, a half-sister to a 1:47 winner, he boasts a string of big race winners in his family.

While he won only one of his 16 starts here, he seldom enjoyed luck with the barrier draws, regularly posting the best sectional times in his races, roaring home from the back.

In the one race he did win, in October, he started from two on the gate, trailed, and swished up the passing lane for Andre Poutama to easily beat an in-form Luke John by one and a quarter lengths. His time of 2:02.6 for the 1700 metres represented a slick mile rate of 1:56, his 800 and 400 splits of 55.1 and 26.9 right up there.

The worst he finished in four starts since then was fourth, running into useful types like Taipo and Jack Ryan.