Surprise package Tommy Lincoln, aka Timber, shooting for hat-trick on Friday night

Nobody would argue Tommy Lincoln has been the surprise package of Lincoln Farms’ pacers this year.

Trainer Ray Green makes no secret of the fact he once described the horse as “big and gormless.”

When most of his two-year-old peers were running along at Pukekohe earlier in the season, “Timber” as he’s known around the stable, was still working out where to put his long legs.

“He was never one you labelled as a potential derby horse,’’ says Green. “But he’s just got better and better and here he is, the winner of two on end.

“He’s exceeded all our expectations, he’s done nothing wrong, and now he’s potentially a Sires’ Stakes horse.’’

Tommy Lincoln, outer, bravely fights off The Empress last start after sitting parked. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.The way Tommy Lincoln has won his last two starts, Green says he wouldn’t be surprised to see him go another big one in the fifth race at Auckland on Friday night, even from the outside of the front row.

Two early scratchings mean Tommy will have only five horses inside him, but two of those, Ferritt’s Sister and Bit Of A Tiger, have been running faster times in their recent wins.

Green says while overall times don’t mean much he wouldn’t like to see Tommy Lincoln have another hard run this week, after facing the breeze almost throughout two weeks ago and still outfinishing talented stablemate The Empress.

“He seems to have come through that race fine,’’ says Green. “He won’t be outclassed on Friday and who knows what he could do.’’

Man Of Action … has had two tough trips since resuming.Man Of Action has a different problem in the following race, leaving the gate from the inside of the second line.

But Green is quite happy about that as it will give him the chance to see what the two-year-old can do coming with a late run.

In both his two recent starts, Man Of Action has ended up parked outside the leader, still finishing strongly at Cambridge but only battling last time at Alexandra Park after hitting the front turning for home.

“That’s about the fastest he’s ever been last time and it took its toll but he wasn’t far away.

“We don’t know how he’ll come home in a race if saved for a run but at the trials he’s got home well after following.’’

Man Of Action might even fluke a nice marker peg run with aggressive driver Brent Mangos drawn in front of him on Verdelho.

“He’s pretty tractable and maybe he just needs to be a bit fitter to show up. The racing will tighten him up.’’

The Bull Pen badly graded

While The Bull Pen looks badly graded in the eighth race, Green says from his two draw he might just get the sweet run he obviously needs.

A rating 66 horse in a rating 64 to 95 race, The Bull Pen has to tackle in-form runners like Check In (R86), Baquero (R72) and Dance Time (R95), who is back from a campaign in Sydney and Melbourne where he won five times, the latest at Melton in 1:53.2 last month.

“But he’s a handy horse and if he’s on his game - and I can’t guarantee he is - he could get some of it.

“He’s trained pretty well but he also did that before his last run.’’

Last time out at Auckland on June 7, The Bull Pen lost his chance, breaking at the start.

“But he got pulling,’’ says Green. “We wanted to take him back off the gate but he took hold and resisted, put his head in the air, and galloped.’’

On Friday night, driver Zachary Butcher is sure to let the horse run to try to either lead or trail, a position from where he won five starts back.

“He seems well enough but he’s possibly had a virus. Sometimes you can’t see the symptoms, they don’t have to be lying down with snot pouring out of them to feel a bit flat.

“There are no champions against him on Friday and these are the sorts of horses he has to deal with from now on. If he does things correctly, you couldn’t write him off.’’

The Bull Pen easily beat Big On Personality in April after trailing. PHOTO: Joel Gillan/Race Images.