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Ray reaches for the shades to stop Leo from switching off at Auckland on Friday night

Trainer Ray Green is hoping the addition of blinds will help keep Leo Lincoln’s mind on the job at Auckland on Friday night.

The Art Major two-year-old appeared to throw away a win last week when, just 50 metres from home he eased off the pedal, allowing two runners to swamp him by half a head and half a neck.

When driver Andre Poutama swept up four wide turning for home and pounced on the leaders, Leo Lincoln looked to be in for his second win as a maiden - a rare luxury because his dead-heat win at Cambridge in August meant he didn’t go up in grade.

Invisible and Delightful Reality swamp Leo Lincoln on the line.Invisible and Delightful Reality swamp Leo Lincoln on the line.It was a good effort considering from five on the gate, he was trapped out three wide in no man’s land round the first turn.

Leo starts from the same position on the arm on Friday night but is drawn inside the likely favourite, The Telfer-trained Slots.

“Hopefully he can get in sooner this week and he should go better,” Green said. “They went 2:41.7 last time too and it was only his second run for a while so he probably needed it.”

Green’s own horse My Copy gets his chance at odds when he drops significantly in grade in the third race.

Don’t be fooled by his last-start eighth in a rating 47 to 53 race - it was much better than it would appear on paper.

Forced to drop back to the rear from the outside gate, driver Maurice McKendry was still last turning for home but made good ground to finish only four lengths from Nelson’s Boy. Only one horse in the race bettered My Copy’s closing sectionals of 55.4 and 28.2.

On Friday night he runs in an average looking rating 41 to 46 race, his only handicap a niggly gate.

“Six is a tricky draw so he’ll need luck,” Green said. “But you can’t fault anything he’s done this time in and this field is a lot easier than last time.”

Green can’t see Onyx Shard matching her stablemate from the outside draw.

“She’s had no chance with the draws and trips she’s been getting. From the outside she’s going to struggle to get a decent run again but hopefully she’ll finish on well.”

Simply Sam and Lincoln River both look chances in the sixth race, Green favouring Sam because of his better turn of foot.

“River lacks a bit of high speed but makes up for it by being very rugged and he’s drawn to get a good trip.

“He’s such a little pro I think he’ll manage the step up in class.”

Andre Poutama is stuck in the trail behind eventual winner Miki Shan and has to yank him sideways to try to find a gap.Andre Poutama is stuck in the trail behind eventual winner Miki Shan and has to yank him sideways to try to find a gap.Simply Sam had a couple of excuses for finishing only sixth last week.

Bottled up three back on the pegs, Poutama was frustrated for a pegs run behind eventual winner Miki Shan and was only two lengths away at the line.

“I took a blood off him also which showed he was slightly tied up which explains his lack of enthusiasm at the finish.

“I’m hoping he’s better this week and, with his speed, if he’s sitting on River’s back you’d expect him to roll over the top of him.”

Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Mark Dux

Mark Dux’s comments

Wednesday night at Redcliffe

Race 1: Captain Nemo
7.17pm NZ time

“It’s a reasonable field, they’re not push-overs, but they’re all beatable. It will all come down to who gets the right trip. If we have something go our way we could get some of it as there’s not a lot between them and I don’t think he’s far off now. We’ve got a bad draw again and there’s a bit of speed inside us so I’ll tell Angus to just play it by ear.”

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Friday night at Auckland

Race 4: Lincoln La Moose
7.32pm

“He’s a pretty good horse. He was still below his best last time at Cambridge - he needed the race - but went very well for second behind King’s Watch. With his ace draw, he should be right up there for Zac (Butcher). He always looked a bit delicate but he’s got tougher.”

Race 4: Obadiah Dragon
7.32pm

“He’ll go a good race but our others look better here. His last run was below par for him so we took a blood off him and he had a bit of a virus going on. He was at the tail end of it but it was enough to stop him.”

Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.32pm

“Even if he’s half a run short, I don’t think it will matter, he’ll still be too good for this lot. He only had a mild virus which came right with treatment and he’s trained on well since. He feels pretty good and if I was betting man, I’d bet him for sure based on his last run, which was massive.”

Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.32pm

“He’s in a ‘coming of age’ phase. He rushed up beside them last start and wanted to lay all over them and give them a hug. But that’s normal coltish behaviour. He does that in training as well, rushes up and switches off. He has a lot of ability but also a few little behaviour traits that we need to get on top of.”

Race 6: My Copy
8.24pm

“It won’t be easy from four on the second row but he’s very honest and, if opportunity knocks, he’ll be right there. If he gets a trip, he’s always ready to pounce.”

Race 9: Tyson
9.39pm

“He should be one of the favourites. The raw ability is there and he’ll definitely win races as he has a bit of speed. How far he will take us we have yet to find out but I thought he did really well last time given the run he had.”

Dan Costello Race Photography