Leo Lincoln outsprints the favourite Irish Whispers at Cambridge. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.
Ray: Little Leo’s no star but he’s the kind of horse everybody would love to own
By Barry Lichter • 12 May 2024
Little Leo Lincoln might not be in the top echelon of three-year-olds but trainer Ray Green says he’d still love to own him outright.
Green races the Art Major gelding with Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, Ian Middleton, Glenn and Ann Cotterill and Phil Kelly and says he’s the kind of horse everybody would love to own.
Though he registered only his fourth win at Cambridge last Thursday night he took his earnings to $43,760 because he’s never far from the money.
In 21 starts Leo’s also racked up four seconds, three thirds, three fifths and five sixths, never failing to raise the adrenalin of his owners.
“He’s a good, little horse and has been right from the start. I could have had a share in him or Lincoln La Moose but chose Leo because he was the more forward.
Leo Lincoln looked the goods even as a weanling.“He looked pretty good even as a weanling - at $27,000 he was one of the top lots of that sale.
“He hasn’t grown into a big horse like I thought he would, he’s small to average size, but you don’t have to be big to be good in this game.
“He’s getting stronger all the time and, while he’ll obviously have to lift his game a little further down the road, I think he’ll be competitive at Auckland.”
Only one of Leo Lincoln’s wins have so far come at Alexandra Park but he’s run with distinction against some talented rivals there.
“It’s his speed that will carry him. We know he’s got some speed and that’s where the favourite at Cambridge the other night (Irish Whispers) was vulnerable. While he’s a pretty nice horse, he seems to lack quick speed.”
So when Green saw driver Maurice McKendry land the one-one trail last week, he knew Leo would be a good chance to reel in the leader.
“I can’t believe more people don’t want to buy him. We had one inquiry yesterday but, even though we still don’t know what’s happening with the industry here, we don’t really want to sell him. We’ve sold quite a few of ours recently.”
In recent weeks two former Lincoln Farms intermediate graders have been in winning form across the Tasman, Simply Sam at Menangle in 1:51.3 and Lincoln River at Maryborough in 1:54.4.
“Frankie Major’s apparently ready to go too.”
More news in Harness
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Ray cautions punters with no lead this time for Jekyll and Hyde colt Prince Lincoln
Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
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.”
