Sam joins the overseas drain - the maths were simple, racing him here no longer added up

Simply Sam is the latest pacer sold to Australia because the dwindling population of horses in the north now sees him forced to race against the best in the country.

The five-year-old joins the recently exported Frankie Major and Lincoln River as Lincoln Farms makes the tough decisions on what is best for its own operation and its racing partners.

“He’s in a grade now where he has to run against the big guns,” says business manager Ian Middleton.

“He’s a little boy running against $1 million earners and, while he’s shown he’s capable of running placings, he can’t beat them.”

Middleton says it’s a sad state of affairs when no suitable races can be found here for a rating 63 horse.

In Sydney, however, where he will join the stable of Robbie Morris, there will be ample opportunities for him to earn good prizemoney for his new owners.

Middleton says the enjoyment from racing the horse here has dwindled for Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street and their partners Kim Miller, Robert and Donna Best, Priscilla Edmunds, the Red and Blue Syndicate and the Green Machine Racing Syndicate.

Maurice McKendry drove Simply Sam in four of his seven wins.It’s been 16 starts and more than six months since the horse won and in recent weeks it’s become apparent things are only getting worse.

In his last start at Auckland, Simply Sam raced bravely for third but was never going to be competitive with Mach Shard (R100, $644,078) or Self Assured (R120, $2,301,394). And three starts back he did well to chase home top four-year-olds Merlin (R101, $584,764) and Sooner The Bettor.

When the horse ran fifth in the Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup on New Years Eve, he was up against topliners Don’t Stop Dreaming, Old Town Road, Akuta and Bach.

“We’re doing what’s financially best for our owners,” says Middleton.

“And it’s an ideal time for us to sell. We have lots of young horses coming through the system.”

Simply Sam (American Ideal - Simply Stunning) raced 44 times, his consistency evident with seven wins, six seconds, 10 thirds and six fourths for $111,939 in stakes.

His best season came as a three-year-old, when he won six races, including a hat-trick at Auckland, and a win at Shepparton when on a Victoria Derby campaign.