Spice It Up out to make up for two years of frustration for Ray and owners on Friday

As the winner of two recent workouts, Lincoln Farms’ debutante Spice It Up will attract plenty of support when she debuts at Auckland on Friday night. But you won’t get trainer Ray Green to tip her confidently.

Few horses are as well pampered as those at Lincoln Farms’ idyllic Pukekohe property.

That’s all expect one, who never gets to lie down in a nice cosy box, isn’t even fed, and spends all day and night walking her paddock.

The call her Spicey and for the last two years she’s confounded trainer Ray Green and his helpers who more than once lamented she might never make it to the racetrack.

But Spice It Up, as punters will know her from Friday night when she debuts in the ninth race at Alexandra Park, has never lacked for ability.

How Spice It Up (Zachary Butcher) looked at Franklin Park’s yearling parade in August, 2019.The Captaintreacherous filly was so precocious she and driver Zachary Butcher looked a real standout at Franklin Park’s annual baby parade in August, 2019, earning the judge’s silver award and Green’s ranking as number one filly in the stable.

“We all thought she could be something special,” says Green of the filly whose dam Soul Sister is a half sister to freakish champion Carabella, winner of 17 of her 19 starts.

“Zac was talking about taking a share in her - that’s how much he thought of her.”

But while Spicey showed glimpses of speed that had Butcher thinking she might even be the best of Lincoln Farms’ babies, boys included, she came with some unwanted baggage.

Every preparation Green gave Spicey ended prematurely when she would chronically tie up, a painful condition involving cramping of the back and rump muscles.

Green got to learn all about Rhabdomyolysis or Azoturia.

Monday morning sickness

Trainer Ray Green walks Spice It Up at Lincoln Farms.“They used to call it Monday morning sickness because horses would have Sunday off and tied up the next day.

“We tried all the usual things but there can be multiple causes and nobody has a hard and fast solution.

“Some think it’s hereditary and mares are more prone to getting it because they come into season, urinate everywhere and get dehydrated.”

Spicey had numerous breaks to try to get her over the problem.

“We’d bring her back in and within two or three weeks she’d tie right up again. It looked hopeless there for a while.”

The last time Spicey tied up Green gave her an extra long spell and when she resumed work this time, many months ago, he totally changed her routine.

“She lives in the paddock now, doesn’t even have one night in the stall - you’ve just got to keep them on the move.

“Some people work them every day but she has one day off a week.

“We don’t even feed her now - apart from a few nuts - she just eats grass, and so far, so good. She’s still as big as a bull.”

Spice It Up’s turn of foot impressed driver Zachary Butcher right from the start.Spicey has had three workouts this preparation, for a third and two wins this month, the latest on June 12 easily her most impressive when she unleashed a powerful sprint in the run home for Butcher to reel in The Missing Sock, an early scratching from Friday night.

But Green says he’s not convinced yet.

“I’ll be watching with interest and won’t be making any rash predictions. We’ve been on the back foot until now so I want to see her race and see how she handles it.”

Green says many trainers would have called it quits long ago with the filly who comes in to gate six on Friday night against a mediocre bunch.

“But when they show a glimpse of something you’ve got to keep trying.”

Spicey’s ongoing problems have caused a real headache for Lincoln Farms’ business manager Ian Middleton who has spent this week contacting all the original partners in the filly.

Under the generous conditions of Lincoln Farms’ special partnerships, owners can either take a refund or agree to be placed into another horse if the one they selected doesn’t make it.

When Spicey looked to be on the skids last year, Middleton channelled most of her owners into other horses but they have now been given the option of coming back in.