Lincoln La Moose has won two races at Cambridge including this one last December. PHOTO: Ange Bridson.
Return to left-handed racing will help Lincoln La Moose at Cambridge on Thursday night
By Barry Lichter • 18 June 2025
A return to left-handed racing should see Lincoln La Moose outrun his $10 odds at Cambridge on Thursday night.
Bookies opened the four-year-old only sixth-equal favourite in a field of eight but co-trainer Ray Green believes he’s a better chance than that, despite tackling 2700 metres for the first time.
With co-trainer Nathan Delany at the helm in the junior drivers’ race, Lincoln La Moose breaks loose of Auckland company for the first time in five recent starts and returns to Cambridge where he has won two of his four races.
“He’ll go better left-handed,” Green said. “And it’s a weaker race, of course. He’s gone good races in much better company and, with a reasonable trip from six, he should be quite competitive.”
Lincoln La Moose finished a fair fifth at his last start behind the talented Captain’s Secret, despite being left parked out for much of the trip.
Green is looking forward to seeing what The Rascal ($11, $2.90) can do from a good alley in the second event, his first race for nearly seven months.
“He’s training very well and has had two workouts. He’s improving all the time and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was in the fray.
“He’s had a few gait issues in the past but he’s grown a bit now and I don’t see why he won’t go well. They’re not a stellar bunch.”
Green rates Dreams Of Eric ($13, $2.70) a better chance than Im Not The Maid ($7.50, $1.90) despite their contradictory odds in the fifth race.
“I expect Eric to be in it from the inside draw and he could easily win.”
Green said an opportunistic drive by gun junior Harrison Orange all but succeeded last time when he burrowed up the makers late to be beaten just two heads.
“It will be interesting to see how Im Not The Maid goes. She was well driven in the amateurs’ race last time (by John Kriechbaumer). That’s the type of drive she needs. She’s shown she can’t burn the candle at both ends.”
Stable driver Andre Poutama takes the reins on Thursday in a harder race, from four on the gate, his main opposition decisive last-start winner Won And Only and the talented first-up winner Pukunui Beach.
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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.”
