Tommy Lincoln in terrific form but he’s at the mercy of the pole runner on Saturday night
By Barry Lichter • 25 September 2021
Drawn the inside of the second row, Tommy Lincoln’s chances rest solely with the horse he follows out at Albion Park on Saturday night.
If Jeradas Delight holds the front, Tommy instantly becomes a live winning chance from the trail.
If the mare hands up, and puts Tommy three deep, he’s realistically only running for a place.
Trainer-driver Mark Dux says that’s the case in a nutshell for Tommy Lincoln who is racing right at the top of his game.
“I’m not sure how much gate speed Jeradas Delight has - she’s rarely drawn the front line - but I’m sure they wont want to be too far back with her.
“It will all come down to how quickly she comes out. She’s quite a good mare and would be a good one to follow.”
In her 24 starts in Queensland Jeradas Delight has racked up seven wins and 11 placings.
Brendan Barnes celebrates his win behind $151 longshot Jeradas Delight in the Golden Girl at Albion Park in July.Three starts back she sprung the upset of the season at Albion Park for driver Brendan Barnes when she downed top Kiwi mares Spellbound and Amazing Dream in the $100,000 Garrards Golden Girl, rating 1:52.5 for the 1660 metres.
Tommy’s best at Albion Park is a front-running 1:52.7 and he has since been just as effective at the longer 2138 metres, the distance of Saturday’s opening event.
“The 2138 metres will be no problem so long as he doesn’t fire up. It’s when he sees open spaces that’s his worst time.
“It’s a tricky alley but but he’s certainly going well enough to be among them.
“He was very good again last week. The leader (Will The Wizard) got away on us again but that was because the others couldn’t get us into the race.”
Angus Garrard has to go round his tiring rivals on Tommy Lincoln as leader Will The Wizard steals a march.When top junior Angus Garrard moved out from the one-one to lodge his challenge, the leader had set up an unassailable lead.
And it didn’t help when he contacted the off-side sulky tyre of Franco Hampton who was giving ground at the 500-metre mark. Tommy Lincoln then hung in near the 400m.
Tommy was still credited with faster closing sectionals than the winner, making up 3.2 metres on Will The Wizard and pacing home in 56.28 and 28.53, with the 1660 metres run in a mile rate of 1:51.7.
The previous week they ran even faster, Tommy finishing a 12.5 metre second to Will The Wizard who was only two tenths of a second outside the 1:50.4 track record jointly held by Im Themightyquinn and Cruz.
Tommy Lincoln just nabbed former Lincoln Farms’ flag bearer Northview Hustler in that event, the Hustler going on to run another ripper for Al Barnes last week when best of Turn It Up’s rivals after a one-one trip. The Hustler starts alongside Tommy on the second row on Saturday night.
Dux takes the reins on Tommy this week, Garrard committed to driving the Darren Weeks runner Speech Is Silver.
Tommy Lincoln races at 8.10pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
Rivergirl Bella finally delivers - and Phil kicks himself for not being there or having a punt
This is it, Sammy, the draw’s a bit of a pain but you can eat these non-winners for breakfast
Prince Lincoln finally shows what he’s made of - and, wow, was that a blazing demolition!
Hey Wendy and Amy, go easy of Fergs as he’s doing a sterling job taming Lincoln Linda
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.14pm
“She tries hard and is getting stronger. She just needs a trip to be right there.”
Race 3: Copy N Paste
6.16pm
“Maurice said he got a bit tired on debut but I didn’t expect a lot. Four months ago you’d have wondered if he’d ever qualify. He’ll improve on that - he’s improving all the time - but from seven he’ll have to go back and come into it late.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.14pm
Update: Scratched
“She’s up in grade but is a chance again if she can get a good run up the front of the field. It was a good effort last time to break 2:43.”
Race 8: Lincoln Maree
8.49pm
“She’s trained on OK and, while no champion, has to be a chance down in grade against the amateur horses.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Jessie Lincoln
6.57pm
“I can’t see her beating Sammy Lincoln but with a good draw at last you’ll see a better performance. She’s capable of finishing in the first three.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.57pm
“She bolted in at the workouts, leading out from a wide gate and getting home in 27.9. She’s a great driving little mare and has good manners. I could see her winning one very soon.”
Race 4: Sammy Lincoln
6.57pm
“I know we’ve said it before but he has been unlucky a few times and, all things being fair and square, it’s hard to see him beaten. The draw is awkward but everything points to him winning. There are no derby horses in there and he went a great race in the Northern Derby last start.”
Race 4: Marylynes Boy
6.57pm
“He’s a tidy little horse. I can’t see him winning from the (second row) draw but he’s like Spirit Of God, he’s not far away from winning one.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.25pm
“He’s been a late developer. You can see it in his growth, his withers have finally popped up, and he’ll get better as time goes on. He’s no champion but he should be a handy horse through winter. He’s capable of stepping away fairly well.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.25pm
“It’s a toss-up between the two of them. Sugar Ray is a bit stronger perhaps but Leo is very good from a stand. You can forget that last run in the Messenger - he was only in there to help get the race off the ground.”
Race 7: Prince Lincoln
8.25pm
“He finally showed us what he’s got last week. Inside second row draws can be awkward - you’re at the mercy of the others - but he could end up with a good trail behind the leader.”
