Ray: Sammy Lincoln has ‘turned the corner’ and can go on with it on Friday night

Sammy Lincoln might have taken nine starts to win a race but co-trainer Ray Green believes he can now go on with the job.

Though faced with a strong line-up in the final race at Auckland on Friday night, Green says everything points to the three-year-old holding his form.

“I think he’s turned the corner,” Green said. “He will have gained a lot in confidence from last week’s win.”

Green likes the fact Sammy Lincoln ($3.50, $1.65) has drawn two, only the third time in his career that he has not been wide on the gate or on the second row.

The key to the race will be holding a forward enough position, something which Green thinks he can now do.

“We haven’t really tried him out of the gate but he’s a good horse who is improving all the time.”

Green says while Sammy Lincoln might not have the early acceleration to match his stablemate Rivergirl Bella, who has drawn inside him, he is a much more experienced model than the one which was rocky in his first couple of starts in January.

And the way he sustained a long 800 metre run from the rear last Friday night, clocked in 55.9, suggested higher grades would not stop him.

He already has a sub 2:40 clocking over 2200 metres to his credit, when he powered up to sit parked for the last lap at Cambridge in April and went down only to the passing lane sniper Secret Beach, and Life Less Ordinary, rivals again on Friday.

Green said Rivergirl Bella ($16, $4.20), while a dominant last-start winner, and likely to get a cushy marker run, would be no match for Sammy Lincoln and was better placed at Cambridge.

The inside second row draw would also be tough on Prince Lincoln ($15, $4), given he pulled so hard when trapped back on the markers from the same draw last week.

“We’ve taken the blinds off this week or he’d over-race again. When he draws a (good) gate we’ll put them back on again. Obviously he’s best on the front end.”

Sugar Ray Lincoln, a close-up fifth last week after sitting parked.Bold runs

Green is predicting bold runs from both Lincoln Wave ($2.35, $1.24) and Sugar Ray Lincoln ($6, $1.85) in the fourth race.

Lincoln Wave hasn’t raced since finishing eighth in Jumal’s Northern Derby on May 1 when he “burned himself out early” going forward from a wide alley.

In the meantime he has lined up twice at the Pukekohe workouts but only to get his standing start ticket, muffing it the first time, but qualifying at his second attempt.

“There was no race for him last week and, with the shortage of horses, if he wins one more race, he’ll have to front up to the open class horses and they’ll be in handicap races from a stand.

“But he’s training well and should go well.”

Green said while Lincoln Wave’s best races have been on the front end, Friday’s map was difficult to read with two Jay Abernethy-trained stablemates drawing one and two and Mick Konstantin a fast beginner drawn the inside.

Sugar Ray Lincoln only has to replicate his recent efforts to go close, Green said.

“It’s a shame he hasn’t had more economical trips - he’s had some tough runs - and keeps going good races.”

Last Friday’s fifth behind Little Spike was typical of his efforts this prep when he ended up parked for the last 1150 metres, but was beaten only 2.3 lengths.

A shot at $26

Green expects Marylynes Boy ($26, $4) to be right in the fray in the second race.

While his two-start formline looks bleak, Green said last Friday’s seventh was “a non-event” when the two-year-old was stopped in his tracks, running into the two horses in front of him, Spirit Of God and Toffee Potts, when they locked wheels.

The Vincent colt’s debut held plenty of promise for co-trainer and owner Nathan Delany when he made a spirited bid from well back only to run out of condition halfway down the home stretch.

“He’d have to be a shot, drawn the inside.”