Sugar Ray finally finds his mojo, outpunching Tyson, but Ray’s still guarded about the future

Co-trainer Ray Green says he is more hopeful than confident that Sugar Ray Lincoln can hold his form now that he’s finally won again.

In the eight months and 11 starts since the little brother to dual New Zealand Trotting Cup hero Copy That had previously saluted, Green and his training partner Nathan Delany tried numerous things to turn him around.

The three-year-old finally delivered at Auckand on Friday night, staving off heroic stablemate Tyson by a nose, rewarding his long-suffering fans with a $23 fixed odds dividend.

But Green says he’ll wait and see before declaring the horse to be finally out of his rut.

“It was good to see him win like that - admittedly he had a good trip - but he went 2:40.5.

“I hope he goes on with it but I’ll believe it when I see it. I’m still guarded because he’s let us down too often.”

Green said a combination of things helped Sugar Ray on Friday night, not the least of which was “all sorts” of vet work.

“It was mainly inflammation in his feet, which we had injected, and that helped immensely. You know yourself if you’ve got a stone in your shoe you don’t feel like running.

“I thought he looked a lot better on the track on Friday night. He was keen on the bit and wanting to do it.”

That, along with a copy book drive by new pilot Peter Ferguson who had the horse in the one-one most of the way, saw Sugar Ray find his long-lost big finish as he sped down the back straight in 28.8 and kept it up in the run home with a 28.9.

It was the third time in his four wins that he had clocked 2:40 and fractions, a reflection of the high rating Green has always had of the horse.

The $9350 winning purse took Sugar Ray’s earnings to $77,435 for Green’s wife Debbie, Lincoln Farms owners John and Lynne Street, Ian Middleton and Phil Cook.

Green was super happy too with the way Tyson came again at the finish, after sitting parked all the way and fending off a mid-race challenge for that spot.

“Tyson has a big motor, he’s a real warrior,” Green said.

The one-two finish saw a $68.20 quinella posted and a $709 trifecta with the hot favourite Tytate.

Peter Ferguson urges The Rascal home for his first win. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.The dividends were a lot smaller and the time a lot slower in the next race but Green still took a lot of satisfaction from The Rascal’s win in 2:46.6.

It ended a frustrating run of placings, caused mostly by the horse being rough in his gait, requiring numerous gear changes.

“I thought he was all done when that horse of Zac’s (The Night Agent) unwound in the straight, but he got there by a nose.

“Fergie nursed him around the corners and said he was actually much better. For a horse who was on our transfer list, he’s doing a good job.”

With a win and five placings from eight starts, the Sweet Lou colt has now won $18,572 for the Streets and Middleton.

Prince Lincoln might have gone down by a head to Andretti in the Lincoln Farms Pace later in the night but Green was rapt with his fresh-up run.

“Zac had to go a bit too soon and said he just flattened out the last little bit. I thought it was the run of the race.”

Green said the run augured well for the two-year-old’s future when taking into account the high rating Mark and Nathan Purdon have on Andretti.