Sam’s sure to run another top race at Hawera on Friday - and the bookies are giving you $9
By Barry Lichter • 1 February 2024
Simply Sam might be only the fifth favourite but his ability to begin swiftly is expected to take him close in Friday’s $20,000 Stratford Cup.
Bookies have opened Simply Sam at $9 and $3 for the cup on the first day of the two-day meet at Hawera, behind Village Rebel ($4.80), southern pair Smoke On The Water ($5.50) and Johnny Mac ($6) and Artisan ($7.50).
But Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green rates the consistent pacer a good winning chance, even from his 20 metre handicap, and expects him to have the measure of stablemate Lincoln River ($18).
“He’s our best shot even though he’s spotting the other horse 20 metres. We know he’s a quick beginner and he’ll pick up half that handicap pretty quickly.
“The field isn’t daunting - he’s beaten them all before - he’ll just need a little bit of luck.”
It’s a long time since Simply Sam performed poorly and his recent efforts at Auckland were in much stronger fields than he meets at Hawera.
You had to admire his grit last start when he ran on well and was best of the rest behind topliners Merlin and Sooner The Bettor in a 1:55.1 mile.
And the horses who beat him into fifth in the Group II Franklin Cup before that also included some of the very best in the country - Don’t Stop Dreaming, Old Town Road, Akuta and Bach.
With regular driver Andre Poutama away in Fiji, the reins on Simply Sam go to stable junior Monika Ranger.
“Moni is driving well and has driven him before so he has plenty going for him. I know it’s his first start on grass but I can’t see that worrying him.”
Lincoln River may be at long odds and the lowest rated horse in the field but Green doesn’t think he will be embarrassed.
“He’s capable of fronting up to them now and it’s only 2100 metres. Nathan (Delany) knows the horse well and he’ll be right in the fray if he does everything right.”
What Lincoln River has to do right the most is begin safely in his first test behind the tapes.
When tried in a standing start workout last December, Lincoln River was slow to find his straps but Green believes the addition of hopple shortneners this time will do the trick.
Lincoln River showed he was in great heart last Friday at Auckland when, as outsider of the field, he finished only a length behind up-and-coming pacers Better Knuckle Up, Escape Artist and Throwyaarmsaroundme in a 1:55.7 mile, doing plenty of early work before finding the one-one.
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Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
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.”
