HOSED OFF: It’s been a frustrating 12 months for Simply Sam and his connections.
Simply Sam over tie-up issue and ready to get things back on track at Cambridge
By Barry Lichter • 4 July 2023
Given his proven ability, it’s hard to reconcile how it’s been just on 12 months since Simply Sam won a race in New Zealand.
But trainer Ray Green is hoping the horse’s run of back luck has come to an end and he can now show his true worth, starting at Cambridge on Thursday night.
When Simply Sam scored at Auckland last July it was his third win on end and gave the Lincoln Farms camp the confidence to launch a derby campaign in Australia.
But while Simply Sam won a lead-up race at Shepparton and was placed in his Victoria Derby heat, he was no match for the likes of Leap To Fame in the final.
On his return, Simply Sam’s newly developed coltish behaviour had become unacceptable so Green had no option but to geld him. Then, when his condition fell right away, Green sent him for a good spell.
Four months later Simply Sam was back and, while not winning, he started to turn in some eye-catching runs.
When he last raced at Cambridge on June 2, however, Sam was sent out a warm favourite but he had trouble even catching the field from his 25 metre handicap. And when driver Zachary Butcher tried to follow eventual winner Fernleigh Cash round the field, Simply Sam went nowhere, Butcher later reporting to stewards the horse never travelled at any stage.
Blood tests revealed Simply Sam had tied up.
“He seems back to normal again, his bloods are good,” Green said today.
“It’s been one thing after another with him but hopefully we’re back on track now.”
Green had hoped to trial Simply Sam last Friday but with no opposition was forced to train him earlier instead.
“He’s never a flashy worker but he’s been training well and, while we’re stabbing in the dark a bit, I’m sure he’ll be competitive. He’s definitely up with those others.”
Best of the others include the only three higher rated runners in the race, New York Minute (R70), Rough And Ready (R68) and Montana DJ (R65).
And while Green says Simply Sam will improve with the run, he could quickly negate his second row draw by following through go-forward runner I’llavabubbles.
Green’s frustration with the handicapping system is instantly obvious when asked how he thinks stablemate and race rival Lincoln River will fare with the rise in class on Thursday.
Lincoln River was a gutsy last-start winner at Auckland in a rating 40 to 45 race when he sat parked for most of the way. But on Thursday, with a paucity of similarly graded runners, he is forced to contest a rating 50 to 70 event.
“There’s just no flexibility in the handicapping system. I guess we’ll find out more about him this week. It’s hard to know how he’ll go but he’s drawn one so he should go another good race.”
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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.”
