Tommy won’t get stage fright on Friday night but he might need a little stardust

On paper you’d say Tommy Lincoln, a rating 69 horse, would have little chance against Star Galleria, who is rated 102.

But hot Lincoln Farms trainer Ray Green is using a good measuring stick when he says not to put the line through Tommy when he clashes with Steven Reid’s former pin-up pacer over a mile at Auckland on Friday night.

“Copy That is flat getting past Tommy when they work together over a mile at home,” says Green offering a clue which is even more pertinent after Copy That’s supersonic win over the New Zealand Cup favourites Self Assured and Spankem at Ashburton on Monday.

The key to the race, says Green, is whether Tommy Lincoln can lead from two on the gate - without using too much petrol.

And with Star Galleria widest in six, Tommy Lincoln’s chances of crossing the pole runner On A Roll look pretty good.

“Tommy would be pretty hard to get round over a mile, which will suit him. If he leads, he’s a chance.”

Green says the Star Galleria of old would make mincemeat of his rivals on Friday but the injury-plagued old horse is not racing up to his best.

Star Galleria, however, has shown recent signs of improvement. Three starts back in the Spring Cup he turned in the run of the race, his fastest last 800 of 53.9 taking him within half a head and a neck of Copy That, who was pipped by Mach Shard over 2200 metres.

And last time, after having to sit parked for the last 900 metres he was grabbed only late by South Coast Arden, going down by a neck in a very slick 2:38.

Tommy Lincoln has put up his share of fast times too. When an overgrown two-year-old he won over a mile in 1:55.9 and last month he came with the last run to score over 2200 in 2:38.5 after racing three deep.

In just a six-horse field, where the moves are likely to be minimal, Green is hoping to land some of the $17,500 purse.

Lincoln Farms has two solid chances in the fourth race but each of them have crosses to bear.

Revitalise, whom Green trains for Copy That’s owners Merv and Meg Butterworth, has the better draw of four, and has two excellent seconds behind him.

Last start at Cambridge, Revitalise endured a torrid trip from 12, three wide until the 900, when he finally found the death.

It was a gutsy effort which saw him take ground off the promising Alterior Motif in the run home, getting within a neck at the line.

Apieceoflou capitalises on a perfect trailing trip to win last week’s Sires’ Stakes heat. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.“He went super,” says Green. “But he’s had a setback since then with a foot abscess and missed four or five days’ work.

“He’s recovered from that but could possibly be short (of a run).”

Apieceoflou comes into the race with an impressive Sires’ Stakes heat win over Luke John to recommend him.

But while he made the most of his first trailing trip last week to dash home in 26.9 and record a 1:56 mile rate, he’s been revisited by bad luck with a second row draw this time.

“He’ll be reliant on luck again,” says Green. “But he’s proven what I knew he could do now and, while even, this isn’t the strongest field.”

One of his toughest rivals on the front line is sure to be Nevada, run down only by Darling Me last start after leading.