Sugar Ray Lincoln has now put four good races together. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.
Sugar Ray Lincoln and Kevin Kline in fighting form for Friday night at Auckland
By Barry Lichter • 17 September 2025
Rejuvenated pacer Sugar Ray Lincoln and the uber-professional Kevin Kline give Lincoln Farms a strong hand in a competitive sixth race at Auckland on Friday night.
Sugar Ray’s pole position sees him open a warm $3.80 favourite while Kevin Kline as sixth favourite is offering $8, but Lincoln Farms’ co-trainer Ray Green gives both horses a relatively equal chance.
“You can’t fault what Sugar Ray’s been doing lately and he’s been getting out with them so he has to be a serious chance from the inside.”
Green liked the way Copy That’s little brother closed to be only a neck and a nose from winner Confederate last week, the favourite enjoying a perfect trail while Sugar Ray sat parked until getting cover for the last lap.
But Green also fancies Kevin Kline to upset some of his more fancied rivals.
“Kev and Sugar Ray are pretty much on a par. Kev never goes a bad race, he’s just such a professional.”
Despite being parked for the last lap two weeks ago, Kevin Kline kept fighting when fourth behind the talented Mantra Blue. And his previous run, when fourth over Friday night’s 1700 metres, saw him finish within two lengths of Midnight Miki, pipping Sugar Ray, who was albeit unlucky when denied clear air in the run home.
Tyson, centre, likes to race tough. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.In the same mould, Tyson ($11, $2.70) looks a bit of overs in the fourth race, where as the top raced horse in the field he draws the outside of the gate.
“Drawn out there makes it tough over 1700 metres but he’s been making his own luck.
“He’s not brilliant out but if he pushes on to be handy he’s got to be a big chance again. He needs to be up there on the pace or he doesn’t try too hard.”
Tyson faces an easier field than he met last week, when he sat parked for the last lap for third to Final Change. And he has good form behind Confederate before that, beaten only a neck.
Johnny Lincoln ($27, $4.80) and Prince Lincoln ($67, $9) both look tested in the Sires’ Stakes heat.
But Green is confident Johnny Lincoln won’t over-race like last week when he was much too fierce four deep on the markers.
“He won’t pull this time. We’ve got a different bit on him so Maurice will have him under control.”
Prince Lincoln, who punched through a gap in the home stretch last time, only to “hover there”, has drawn the outside of the arm.
“He’ll need to get stronger and you couldn’t see him beating Fugitive ($1.80).”
Rivergirl Bella ($91, $11) might have the good ace draw in the Caduceus fillies’ heat but she has a lot of improvement to make to be competitive on Friday.
Taken back to the rear from a wide draw last week, the Lazarus filly never fired up.
“It will be interesting to see what she can do from a good draw - she’s got some speed and if she holds up early she’ll get a good trip. But she, too, needs to get stronger.”
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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.”
