Ray’s Derby aspirations for Frankie and River hint at another bold showing on Friday night

Frankie Major and Lincoln River only have to run up to their recent good form at Auckland on Friday night to earn a trip south for Grand Prix day at Addington next month.

Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green has earmarked the pair for the $250,000 Garrards New Zealand Pacing Derby (mobile 2600 metres) on December 10.

And while Frankie Major is at $101 and Lincoln River isn’t even in the market for the three-year-old classic, which is dominated by Don’t Stop Dreaming ($1.70), Green says they deserve their chance.

“They’re both racing really well and I don’t see why they wouldn’t be hard to beat again on Friday.”

The last time the pair raced, on November 10, they filled the quinella, Lincoln River photo-finishing Frankie Major by half a head.

But driver Zachary Butcher tailored his tactics on Frankie Major that night to the demands of mile racing, asking the horse to do more early work than usual to lead from seven on the gate.

With Lincoln River enjoying a perfect sit on him in the trail, he was bombed in the last few strides.

Drawing inside his stablemate on Friday, in only a seven-horse field, would appear to give him the edge this time.

“Lincoln River deserved that win, he’d been having some rugged trips and getting nothing,” Green said.

“There’s no reason they both won’t continue to improve and, even though didn’t run race times, they went well running one-two at the workouts last Saturday.”

Simply Sam was even more impressive at the workouts, sprinting home in 57.7 and 27.2 to beat 11-race winner Allamericanlover in his heat.

Simply Sam meets a tidy line-up in the sixth race, not helped by a niggly five draw, but Green says he should be in the money again.

“He hasn’t gone a bad race this time in. He’s picking up placings, keeping my EFTPOS account going and, when things go his way, he’ll be all over them.”

Simply Sam was noticed doing his best work late when sixth on mile night, taking lengths off winner Lady Of The Light and company with a closing 800 in 54.1 and 400 in 26.7.

Two of his rivals on Friday were also victims of the mile racing pattern, drawing wide, going back and never able to get into the race. Whispering Artist, who ran last, clocked a hot 53.9 and 26.5 and Magic Four, second last, ran 54.1 and 26.6.

Leo Lincoln with racenight driver Andre Poutama … better than his form line would indicate. PHOTO: Ange Bridson/Race Images.Leo an improver

Green has a liking for Leo Lincoln in the last race even though he beat only one home in his last start at Cambridge.

But that was in a strong Sires’ Stakes heat won by Le Major and in the interim two and a half months Green says he has improved.

“He’s a tidy horse - I think a little bit of him - and he’s training and trialling quite well.

“He’s not the strongest individual yet but he has a bit of potential and, while it wouldn’t be fair to expect too much of him in his first run back, it wouldn’t surprise me if he won.

“There are only six in it and, even if he sits last, he won’t be far off the pace and he’s got a bit of speed. He could develop into a nice horse like Frankie Major, who took a little while to make it.”

Hardest for Leo Lincoln to beat will be the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan-trained In Excess, who sat parked throughout when second, running a 1:55.7 mile two weeks ago at Auckland.

All three of Lincoln Farms’ runners in the fourth race will need a bit of luck, says Green.

Onyx Shard, stranded on the second line, hasn’t raced since September 7 when held up in the run home at Cambridge.

“It’s her first run for a while so I’m not expecting much but she could get a lucky run through. She’s a nice filly who showed what she could do when she got a two hole trip on Grins night.”

My Copy is another who needs the right trip to pay a dividend. “He went his usual honest race on mile night but he was never going to run past anyone the speed they came home in.”

Green isn’t sure what to make of hollow Manawatu winner Obadiah Dragon.

“We’re stabbing in the dark where he’s at - whether it was a good run or just a figment of our imagination.”

While the two-year-old cleared out to win by 15 lengths, he raced a very poor field.

Friday night’s opposition is much harder and he has to overcome six on the gate.