Sugar Ray escapes being hit below the belt but Ray says he’s still on notice at Auckland

A wet spell of weather saved Sugar Ray Lincoln from the unkindest cut but trainer Ray Green says the colt is still on notice.

Green told stewards Lincoln Farms had resolved to geld Copy That’s little brother after he broke and lost all chance at the Park on June 13, the third time he had proved difficult in his last four starts.

But when he lines up against older rivals in the eighth race at Auckland on Thursday night, his manhood will still be intact.

During recent weeks when the bad weather has made it unsuitable for a gelding operation, it had been decided to give Sugar Ray some more time to mend his ways.

Green said while driver Andre Poutama reported the colt had been thinking too much even before his early break last start, he was hoping for a better performance with the return of his regular driver Maurice McKendry.

“Maurice gets on well with him and understands him. We’ll just play the gelding by ear and he’ll go round as a colt until it becomes too much of a problem for him.

“If he was to do everything correctly, he’d be the one to beat. Ability-wise he should really win.”

Opened second favourite today at $4.80 behind Shake A Leg, Sugar Ray Lincoln showed a glimpse of his real ability when a game fourth at his previous start in the Young Guns Final after mounting a run three wide as far as 700 metres from home.

Complete forgive

Obadiah Dragon ($21) opens the batting for Lincoln Farms earlier in the night in the fourth race, with a complete forgive for his costly home turn break at Cambridge last start.

Obadiah Dragon was travelling very strongly in the trail for Poutama turning for home, and bumping on the helmet of Matty White, driving the leader Supa Dupa Luca, sent him into a gallop.

Poutama did well to get the horse back into a pace after nine to 10 strides but the couple of lengths he lost proved the difference between winning and running fourth, as he was beaten only a head, three-quarters of a length and a neck.

Green says Obadiah Dragon will need luck from six on the gate this week.

“But he’ll go forward and hope to slot in. If you go back you get nothing.”

Zachary Butcher takes the reins this week with Poutama engaged for the return of White Star Stables’ talented pacer Blazing Louie.

My Copy finishes powerfully from the trail to beat Twista and Hugotastic on mile night. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Green says he wouldn’t be surprised to see My Copy ($10) give his rivals a fright in the seventh race.

“He’s really trained on super since his upset win on mile night and I’m not worried about the extra distance or the standing start.”

My Copy, who switches from a mobile mile to a 2700 metre stand, trialled strongly from a stand at Pukekohe last Friday, beating home race rivals Two Eye See and Coastal Babe (fourth).

“He began brilliantly, and led ridiculously easily, so you’d have to say the stand won’t bother him at all.”

And even though My Copy was unplaced in two earlier starts over 2700 metres, Green says the way the horse has been racing, coming with powerful finishes, that shouldn’t be a factor either.

“I actually think they should ban 2700 races, especially with the shortage of horses, if they want them to back up every week.

“But that won’t bother him, he’s in such a good place. He’s in career best form.”