The rain’s coming and that really muddies the water around Lincoln’s Gal on Thursday

With 18 ml of rain forecasted overnight, and the track already a slow 9, trainer Lisa Latta admits she doesn’t really know how Lincoln’s Gal will handle what will be very wet conditions at Awapuni on Thursday.

But the I Am Invincible mare still looks the best chance of Lincoln Farms’ five runners at the meeting, drawn well, in-form and with top jockey Sam Collett aboard.

Latta was delighted with the way Lincoln’s Gal performed at Hastings last Wednesday, in dead 4 ground, when she was on her best behaviour in the gates, jumped with the leaders, and was still in a three-way battle up front 200 metres from home.

In the end she couldn’t match the big late run of Tuscan Whistler but she showed real gameness to nose out Ace Royale for second.

“She’s third up and hard fit now but we just have to hope she can cope with what will be very wet and loose conditions on Thursday.

“How she performs will tell us if we should continue into the winter or send her out for a spell.’’

Lincoln’s Gal has placed twice on slow 8 and heavy 10 ground but that was as a two-year-old and Latta says while she did a nice piece of three-quarter work on wet ground this morning, it’s anyone’s guess how she will fare in a bog.

Dependable Man finally gets to the races after a rocky start to his career.One horse Latta says has been working very well in wet ground is third race debutant Dependable Man.

Just a couple of months off his fifth birthday, the Reliable Man grey is finally making his debut after a rocky start in life when he first needed surgery for colic then 18 months ago had a wind operation.

While unplaced in two jumpouts and three trials, Dependable Man has shown some speed and, crucially, seems to revel in bad ground.

“It’s tough expecting him to perform at his first start but he worked well enough this morning to suggest he can run a cheeky race for Chris Johnson.

“He has appeared to handle wet tracks in all his work. But he is still carrying a bit of condition so will improve with the run.’’

Dependable Man cost $90,000 as a Karaka yearling with his third dam, Nicer, an Irish 1000 Guineas winner. It is the family of the useful gallopers Sultan Of Swing and Pinot Grigio (Avondale Guineas).

Both Johnny Lincoln (race 8) and Lincoln’s Command (race 2) handle it wet but not having raced for four months are expected to need the run.

Johnny Lincoln looked to have come up OK when second behind the talented Cover Drive at the Otaki trials last week.

But with a record of just one win from 30 starts, the Savabeel six-year-old is not the punters’ friend, having racked up eight seconds, five thirds and four fourths.

Lincoln’s Command, a four-start maiden, is looking for 2000 metres, says Latta, but might as well go round on his home track as a pipe-opener.

While Platinum Appeal (race 4) had an excuse at Otaki last time, when she simply failed to handle the puggy track, Latta says she is running out of time.

“She is at the stage where she needs to start showing us something.’’

But the Per Incanto filly has been working well, says Latta, and should get every chance on Thursday from a good draw, with Madan Singh claiming 2kg.