Krug rears high for Blair Orange before his workout at Auckland. He looks the one to beat in the opening Young Guns heat on Friday.
Ray down to only two guns but both Platinum Stride and Captain Nemo have bullets to fire
By Barry Lichter • 11 December 2019
A slight sniffle will keep Bondi Shake out of the first Young Guns’ heat at Auckland on Friday night but trainer Ray Green expects Platinum Stride and Captain Nemo to be right in the fight.
Green had been aiming for a three-pronged assault on the opening two-year-old contest but he treated Bondi Shake for a minor virus earlier in the week.
However, with Platinum Stride ($41) in gate two and Captain Nemo ($41) in five, Green suggests there’s even a chance his pair could lead and trail.
Platinum Stride has shown any amount of zip in his preparatory workouts and, with leading horseman Anthony Butt in the cart, will get his chance to set the tempo.
Captain Nemo also surprised driver Zachary Butcher with the amount of early gas he had in a special workout on the course last Tuesday, declaring he could have led by anything had he asked the horse to run.
“Obviously it’s different in a race - there could be three or four with designs on the lead - but both have the ability to lead,” says Green.
“I expect them both to be very competitive. The two-year-olds look a pretty even bunch this year, there’s no real standout yet.”
Lined up across the track near the finish of last week’s workout it’s, from the inside, Platinum Stride, Bondi Shake, Captain Nemo and Vincent Van Gone.While the Lincoln Farms trio bowed to southerner Vincent Van Gone in their latest workout at Auckland, Butt reported Platinum Stride was only just getting warmed up at the line.
The Captaintreacherous colt, who cost big spending Australian Emilio Rosati $82,500 at NZ Bloodstock’s Christchurch yearling sale, has been one of the most precocious of the Lincoln Farms babies from the start.
Captain Nemo, also by Captaintreacherous and a $110,000 buy for Lincoln Farms’ John Street, looked a little green last week, Butcher reporting his hopples needed tightening up and that he didn’t seem to know what to do after cruising to the lead in the run home.
Krug rushes home wide out for third in his workout at Auckland.Their main rivals trialled three days later and while the first two home were the All Stars’ pair of First Class and It’s All About Faith, the eye-catching run came from the Cran Dalgety and Nathan Purdon-trained Krug who thundered home for third.
Krug demolished the other pair at the cup trials at Addington last month and, even from gate seven on Friday night, is the one to beat.
Green will give new recruit Classie Reactor his chance in the opening race on Friday, where he lines up the highest equal rated runner for his first race in the north.
He gets the worst draw of eight in the rating 47 to 59 event, not an easy task over a mile at Alexandra Park.
The winner of two of his five starts, Classie Reactor will be having only his second run for owner Merv Butterworth after a spell of 16 months and Green says “whatever he does, he will improve on.”
Classie Reactor looked a likely type, however, when he powered home for a close third to star pacer Self Assured at the weekend workouts.
“He could have pulled up a bit better that day but he trained not bad yesterday,” says Green.
“He feels like he’s got a bit of speed but we’ll find out on Friday.”
More news in Harness
The dream’s alive but Nate tells why he’ll wait for ‘Harry’ before racing Eric again
Ray gives reformed Rascal his ‘most likely to succeed’ report from the pole on Friday night
Ray doesn’t pull any punches about Sugar Ray but punters weigh in nonetheless
Partners and pedigree made Johnny Lincoln’s win special - but where was everyone?
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Nathan’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Im Not The Maid
5.14pm
“She went pretty well last week considering they came a fast last half (56.3) and she sat parked from the 800. She’s back to the amateur grade, and should get a good run from the two draw, so hopefully we can get a bit of cash.”
Race 4: Dreams Of Eric
6.38pm
“He didn’t handle the right-handed bends at Auckland last week (galloping at the 300) so we’ll stick to Cambridge from now on. There’s a bit of gate speed in the race so Harry (Harrison Orange) should be able to sit in somewhere. I think he’s a good chance to run top three.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.59pm
“He’s racing very well. He would have run second last week (to American Me) had he not spooked at the winning post. These are tidy horses he’s racing against but he’s holding his own.”
Race 1: Kevin Kline
5.59pm
“He’ll go better back to a mobile start. He did well to finish so close last week after a slow start than having to do all the donkey work when parked for the last lap. Maurice really likes him because he just puts him into cruise control and he keeps going.”
Race 3: Lincoln Downs
6.58pm
“She’s not as good as the other filly but some lift their game when the money’s up so maybe she can pick up a cheque.”
Race 3: Lincoln’s Spice
6.58pm
“She looks a pretty decent chance of winning. She’s a real little tradesman, does nothing wrong, is easy to handle, is a nice drive, tries hard, is great gaited and has the potential to get stronger.”
Race 5: Tyson
7.51pm
“We found out he raced with a virus last time. The next morning snot was pouring out his nose and that’s why he didn’t finish it off as well as we expected. He only whacked away in the run home. With that gone, he should race better.”
Race 5: Johnny Lincoln
7.51pm
“I think he’ll be competitive and he’s the best of ours in the race. He won well last week and has trained on well. He’s promising. I couldn’t go as far as to say he’s a classic colt yet but we’ll find out soon enough.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.51pm
“He’s doing my head in. He had no excuse for breaking last week. Maurice (McKendry) didn’t blame the wet track. He said he was gliding along, travelling beautifully, when for no apparent reason he put in big steps. I’ll put a hood on him this time to see if it’s a nervous issue.”
Race 8: The Rascal
9.23pm
“All going well, he should win what is a poor maiden field. He’s elevated himself from the transfer list and is going well now. He doesn’t have huge gate speed, so he may not lead but he should get a good trip from one. On paper, he’s our best chance of the night.”
