Rosati weighs in with big money to buy exciting Lincoln Farms’ colt Line Up

Exciting two-year-old Line Up again showed his ability at Pukekohe today - just one day after being sold to leading Australian owner Emilio Rosati.

The fast-improving colt, who has been shaping up in recent weeks as potentially the best of Lincoln Farms’ juveniles, changed hands for big money on Friday.

And judging by the sprint he turned on today he will give Rosati and his wife Mary a formidable pair for the next Young Guns heat at Auckland on February 8, with Perfect Stride already holding sway among the babies.

Line Up stretches out stylishly for Andrew Drake in the trail at Pukekohe today.Line Up was simply superb today, showing gate speed in his 1609 metre heat before taking a trail behind Double Up.

Driver Andrew Drake had the colt under a good hold turning for home and when he got a split inside the leader he rocketed through to win, going away, by two lengths from the Bunty and Gareth Hughes-trained pair Mumsies Lad and Hughie Junior.

Line Up clocked a swift 2:01.4, home in 58.2 and 27.7, impressing Drake with the style of his gait.

“He’s a lovely pacer,’’ says Drake who lost ground when held up turning in.

“Mango’s horse (Double Up) kept wanting to duck in and I didn’t think I was going to get a go for a while. But he knew what he was doing as soon as he hit the gap. I gave him a slap with the reins and he was off.”

The speed which with Line Up gathered in the leaders really caught the attention of commentator Cameron Shaw who declared: “Here … comes … Line Up … Line Up won it … beeeootiful yet again.”

Trainer Ray Green says Line Up has been a typical Bettor’s Delight in that it took him a little while to find his feet.

“But over the last couple of months he’s really come on. You couldn’t fault anything he’s done so far.

Line Up is held up and champing at the bit for a crack at the leader as they turn for home today.“He looks the real deal but he has yet to prove it. Potentially he could be the best but he hasn’t fronted up to our best ones like Perfect Stride and Double Or Nothing yet. They worked really well this morning and went faster, clocking 27.2 for their last 400.

“But he’ll get his chance in the next Young Guns heat.’’

Muscular colt Line Up walks back to the stables at Pukekohe today.Both Green and Rosati have first hand experience with Line Up’s relatives, the most famous of which was Partyon who won her first 10 races and 17 in all, including a Harness Jewels at her second start in 2016.

Green trained and owned a full brother, $15,000 yearling Ubettabelieveit, who beat Maxim in a Sires’ Stakes heat in 2013 before being sold to Perth where he failed to impress, winning three minor races.

In 2017 Rosati paid $187,500 for another full brother Kokomo Beach who, renamed Typhoon Stride, has hardly set the world on fire, unplaced in two starts early last year.

Line Up, who cost Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street $130,000 as a yearling, is Beach Parade’s fifth foal.

“He’s a very muscular horse and is an exciting prospect,’’ says Green. “Emilio is going to leave him here until after the two-year-old classics.’’

Earlier, Recco Lover showed he had improved with his fresh-up placing at Auckland when he led all the way in a 2050 metre heat, downing stablemate Zealand Star and Forever Pearl.

Recco Lover was timed to run the trip in 2:37.8, a mile rate of 2:03.8, with closing sectionals of 57.5 and 27.5.

“It was pretty clinical for him,” says Green. “The other horse (Zealand Star) rushed at him in the straight but he stuck his neck out and won well.”

There are no Auckland races next Friday - as the two-day Otaki meeting gets underway - but Green will have a big team in the following week, February 8.