Watch for Simply Sam to hit the line hard at Kilmore on Friday night.
Simply Sam drawn to dash late but will they let Ravishing get away with murder again?
By Barry Lichter • 21 September 2022
Simply Sam needs only to hit the line hard at Kilmore on Friday night to tell trainer Ray Green that he’s primed for the Victoria Derby.
A last start winner at Shepparton, Simply Sam is handicapped by a second row draw in the A$25,000 Withers Classic, from where Green says he’ll need a lot of luck to beat impressive Ballarat winner Captain Ravishing.
“If he gets away with murder again in front, he’ll be impossible to beat,” said Green of Captain Ravishing who ripped off unheard of closing sectionals of 52.8 and 25.1 in the Holloway Classic.
“He’s obviously a very fast horse but I’ve got a suspicion he might not cope with being mauled a bit.”
Green says he can’t imagine the other drivers will let Captain Ravishing get away with walking to the quarter on Friday but the next three favourites have all drawn the second row and Simply Sam won’t be in a position to force the issue.
“He’ll need a bit of luck from the second row and I’m hoping he can get a nice suck into the race.
“This isn’t the race we’re here for. And, while it would be great to win a $25,000 race, as long as he gets home well, I”ll be happy.
“Then he should be firing on all eight cylinders for the derby heats the following week.”
Nathan Jack drives Argyle in race eight.The A$200,000 Victoria Derby on October 8 is still also a likely target for stablemate Argyle who goes round out of his grade three races later.
An all-the-way winner at Melton on September 10, Argyle is the lowest rated in the rating 75 to 85 over 2180 metres but that’s by design, says Green.
“We had two choices - go in this race from a good alley or draw badly in a lesser race.
“I ran it past our driver Nathan Jack and he said in the easier field he’d have to loop the field and rough it. “He’s always gone his best races getting a handy trip and that’s what he’ll get from two. Sure, he’s racing out of his grade and they’re all tidy horses but there’s nothing wonderful in there.”
Argyle has continued to thrive since his win at Melton in a R67-R75 race after which Green did some remedial shoeing on the horse.
“We had flip flops on him before. He had a bit of an issue when an abscess blew out of his heel and, while the hoof grew down, the flip flops kept it off the ground.
“But we’ve taken them off, trimmed his feet up a bit, and he has aluminium shoes on in front now.”
Copy That in good shape
Meanwhile, last week’s decisive Gammalite winner Copy That trained this morning on the straight track at Yabby Dam Farm.
“He’s in good shape. I’m about to go and put new shoes on him,” said Green enjoying a milder day in Ballarat after five days when the cold “was like being on the dark side of the moon.
“I’m hoping he’ll be on top of his game in the Smoken Up Sprint next week then it’s the big one, the Victoria Cup, on October 8.”
Copy That remains an $8.50 third favourite for the New Zealand Trotting Cup, behind Self Assured ($3) and Akuta ($4).
Simply Sam races at 9.33pm NZ time at Kilmore on Friday night.
Argyle races at 11.03pm NZ time at Kilmore on Friday night.
More news in Harness
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Big-spending Mike Tanev snares The Rascal and he’s off to Canada next week
Dreams Of Eric goes from black and blue to blue and white, now for Harness 5000
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
