Shunt and tangled tail hamper our Johnny - why he can win Friday’s Lincoln Farms Pace

“Johnny Lincoln’s flashed home, boy, he’s been a certainty beaten.”

Commentator Aaron White certainly got that right, as he called Lincoln Farms’ two-year-old home into a nose second at Auckland last week.

So it’s no surprise the Lather Up colt has opened a warm $2.05 favourite for the third race at Alexandra Park on Friday night, appropriately named the Lincoln Farms Pace.

Sent out at restrictive odds on the strength of three good placings, Johnny Lincoln got into strife on the first bend last Friday, seemingly the victim of rival Zachary Butcher ducking out on Aunty Rose.

Whether or not their sulkies contacted, and unsettled the green baby, in exactly the same spot where he was involved in a melee two starts earlier, Johnny Lincoln galloped and looked to have done his chips.

After settling four lengths last, driver Peter Ferguson made up the leeway by shooting the colt up the markers only to have him start to over-race badly.

But it wasn’t his inexperience to blame this time, co-trainer Ray Green revealing Johnny Lincoln’s tail became entangled in the hopple carrier.

“That made him try to take off. It obviously put him off as you can see him jam his tail between his legs.”

On top of that, despite expertly manoeuvring out into the running line 1200 metres out, Ferguson had trouble steering the colt.

“He got in a bit on the corners, so it took Fergy a bit longer to pull him out and let him down. We’ll put a little burr on his neck this week to stop that.”

Despite all that, when Johnny Lincoln pulled off Aunty Rose’s back at the 150 metre mark, he flew, clocking the race best sectionals of 56.9 and 27.7.

“ I thought the other horse (Mick Konstantin) had just clung on, but it was close,” Green said. “There was only a couple of inches in it.

“Ferg was pretty happy with him. When they get trips like that, and they’re still running on at the finish into the money, it’s the sign of a good horse.

“Sometimes they look good but don’t go on with it but he’s looking like a nice horse and I’m sure he’ll go well again. It would be nice to win the two-year-old bonus this week.”

Tyson … strong pacer, improved for first-up run, and drawn the ace.Tyson on the improve

Green was also pleased with the resuming run of Tyson ($7, $1.95) who ran fifth last week in his first race for four and a half months.

Four back in the running, and held up turning in, Tyson was doing his best work late to be only three lengths from the winner Clouding Over.

“He’s a strong horse and I think he’ll improve with that run. He’s trained on well and Zac is staying with him and that’s always a good sign.

“He’s drawn well so he should be handy. You have to rate him a chance.”

The Rascal ($13, $2.10) draws five of six in the final race but Green says if he keeps on his recent improving curve he can get some money.

The Sweet Lou three-year-old hadn’t raced for seven months when he ran a brave third at Cambridge on June 19, three wide with no cover for most of the last lap.

“You couldn’t fault his effort, I thought it was the run of the race. Fergy got pushed out at the 950 but that’s because he was nursing him as he’s a bit green.

“Previously he was on our transfer list but he’s steadily improved in the last three or four weeks and is really coming to it now.

“His gait still isn’t perfect but he’s starting to get over his hitch and I think he’ll go another good race. Ability-wise he’s not the worst.”