Stand should be no problem for Riverman Sam: See how fast he stepped in his workout
By Barry Lichter • 22 June 2022
Punters might have a question mark beside Riverman Sam at Cambridge on Thursday night because he is having his first standing start - but not trainer Ray Green.
The way Riverman Sam began from behind the tapes at the Pukekohe workouts last Friday gave Green plenty of confidence that the horse will continue his excellent form in the seventh race.
“He stepped really well at the workouts last Friday when he qualified from a stand. He’s a nice, sensible horse and I can’t imagine him mucking it up.”
Drawn one, from where he begins on Thursday, Riverman Sam hit his hopples smartly to lead his 2500 metre heat and gamely hold off the smart up-and-comer Romeo Shard by half a head, closing in 57.6 and 26.9.
Riverman Sam takes on a higher graded field than he has beaten in his last two starts but Green believes he will be very competitive.
“H’s quite a nice pacer and being up against a few handy horses will give us a line on where he’s heading.”
Riverman Sam strides clear for Maurice McKendry at his last start at Alexandra Park. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Why run 2700 metre races?
The 2700 metres of Thursday’s race doesn’t conern Green given the horse won at that trip at Cambridge two starts back, but that doesn’t mean he supports programming the longer trip.
“I don’t know why they insist on running 2700 races. I can’t see the sense in it. All it’s doing is making it harder for horses to back up and why would you do that with the small pool of horses we have in the north?”
Earlier in the night two-year-old Ideal Kingdom takes on the older horses in an average looking maiden field. And despite being drawn five in the second race, Green can see the little horse taking home some money.
“I think he’ll be very competitive. It’s a different ball game down there and our maiden feilds are much easier than the two-year-old races.”
Ideal Kingdom might have been beaten nearly 11 lengths when fifth at Auckland last week but the winner, impressive debutant Rocknroll Hammer, clocked a swift 1:56.4 mile rate for the 1700 metres in pipping the stable’s Colonel Lincoln and On Deadline.
“The first three home in that race are extremely nice colts - they look classic material - and the opposition looks very average in comparison on Thursday.
“He’s a nice little horse, no champion, but he’s very honest and tractable and should go well.”
Lincoln Farms’ third runner Major Grace leaves from a niggly gate six in the fourth race but Green says the drop in class could also see her in the money.
“You can’t fault what she’d done this time in. Her last three starts have been the best of her career.”
Major Grace has run on well in her last two starts, in particular, held up at crucial times, before finding the line well.
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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.”
