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
Tyson KOs rivals but Ray floored by stewards’ post-race song and dance over assistant’s help
Dr Green goes to work on mentally fragile Tyson hoping to pen better script for Friday
Ray tells why he rates Lincoln Lou clearly best of Lincoln Farms’ quartet in the fourth race
It’s all up to Angus - Brisbane’s young gun needs to drive a pearler on Nemo at Redcliffe
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Mark Dux’s comments
Wednesday night at Redcliffe
Race 1: Captain Nemo
7.17pm NZ time
“It’s a reasonable field, they’re not push-overs, but they’re all beatable. It will all come down to who gets the right trip. If we have something go our way we could get some of it as there’s not a lot between them and I don’t think he’s far off now. We’ve got a bad draw again and there’s a bit of speed inside us so I’ll tell Angus to just play it by ear.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln La Moose
7.32pm
“He’s a pretty good horse. He was still below his best last time at Cambridge - he needed the race - but went very well for second behind King’s Watch. With his ace draw, he should be right up there for Zac (Butcher). He always looked a bit delicate but he’s got tougher.”
Race 4: Obadiah Dragon
7.32pm
“He’ll go a good race but our others look better here. His last run was below par for him so we took a blood off him and he had a bit of a virus going on. He was at the tail end of it but it was enough to stop him.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.32pm
“Even if he’s half a run short, I don’t think it will matter, he’ll still be too good for this lot. He only had a mild virus which came right with treatment and he’s trained on well since. He feels pretty good and if I was betting man, I’d bet him for sure based on his last run, which was massive.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.32pm
“He’s in a ‘coming of age’ phase. He rushed up beside them last start and wanted to lay all over them and give them a hug. But that’s normal coltish behaviour. He does that in training as well, rushes up and switches off. He has a lot of ability but also a few little behaviour traits that we need to get on top of.”
Race 6: My Copy
8.24pm
“It won’t be easy from four on the second row but he’s very honest and, if opportunity knocks, he’ll be right there. If he gets a trip, he’s always ready to pounce.”
Race 9: Tyson
9.39pm
“He should be one of the favourites. The raw ability is there and he’ll definitely win races as he has a bit of speed. How far he will take us we have yet to find out but I thought he did really well last time given the run he had.”
