Ray’s swift-footed cheapie Frisco Bay eyes $35,000 stake of Metro Final next Friday

It’s safe to say few, if any, of Frisco Bay’s rivals in Friday night’s $35,000 Northern Metro Series Final at Auckland came with a price tag of just $9000.

And after showing a dazzling turn of foot to win his heat last night, Frisco Bay will be out to bag a $19,250 winner’s purse in the first of the club’s innovative new series.

Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green paid just $9000 for Frisco Bay as a weanling in 2001, a bargain buy when you consider his main rival in the final, Lazarus gelding Jeremiah, was an $80,000 yearling.

But there was nothing to suggest the Downbytheseaside - Idealistic three-year-old came from the wrong side of the tracks when, in the hands of Zachary Butcher, he put his rivals to bed with a terrific turn of foot early in the home straight.

“Zac said he was absolutely cruising on the corner and once he headed them he actually switched off,” Green said.

It was an impressive performance given the leader was clocked over the last 800 metres in 56.2 and Frisco Bay came three wide from the rear down the back straight and four wide into the home bend.

“His manners let him down early on - he’d get too keen and would have to be put into the race - but he’s nicely mannered now.”

Green said driving conservatively early allowed Butcher to use Frisco Bay’s quick speed to the best effect and he believed he was heading in the direction of being able to compete with the top three-year-olds.

“But we have no grandiose plans, we’ll just take it one step at a time.”

What Frisco Bay looked like as a weanling at Woodlands Stud.Now a two-race winner, Frisco Bay’s first test against stronger opposition will come on Friday when he will meet, among others, second heat winner Harness Million placegetter Jeremiah and Hawkeye Pierce, who ran a very game second in the fourth heat last night after doing a lot of work from a bad draw.

“If we can get some of it next week we’ll be happy,” said Green who races Frisco Bay with Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street.

“He was pretty forward to resume last night - he trialled really well and had been training really well prior to that - but he’ll obviously improve with the run under his belt.”

Green said he was attracted to the horse as a weanling because “he wasn’t a typical Downbytheseaside which are all big, rangy types. He was more compact and quite muscular.”

It was those attributes which trumped the comparatively mediocre ability shown by his dam Idealistic who won six races but never attained a rating higher than R53 despite running 10 seconds, 16 thirds and 13 fourths in his 122 starts.

“And when you’re outlaying only $9000 you don’t have to go cap in hand to the bank manager.”

The 12 automatic qualifiers for Friday night’s final at the Park are:

Heat 1: Claude (2:40.8), Always B Elite, Ideal Delight.

Heat 2: Jeremiah (2:42), Hooray Henry, Mako.

Heat 3: Frisco Bay (2:42.2), Major Major, Clouding Over.

Heat 4: Seaclusion (2:40.5), Hawkeye Pierce, Louezyana.