Tommy’s Kiwi owners in lockdown will be cheering loud enough to burst bubbles

Starved of recent racing, Lincoln Farms and its partners will enjoy seeing Make Way resume at Penrith on Thursday night - and trainer Anthony Butt says with the right run, he can win.

With no racing in New Zealand during the coronavirus lockdown, and not likely to restart until alert level two is reached, the resumption of one of Lincoln Farms’ best performers this season is a real highlight.

Trainer Sonya Smith and her partner Anthony Butt have turned Make Way, stable name Tommy, into a real money-spinner for his big group of owners, his five wins just this term netting A$44,762.

And with his career stakes now nearly A$146,000 from 14 wins, 11 of them under Smith, he looks set to be a force in the Menangle ranks in the next few months for Amy Myocevich, the 10-strong Excell Syndicate, Bob Best, Duncan, John and Dave Chisholm, Warwick Orr, John and Lynee Street and Ian Middleton.

Make Way’s formline of 1599 might not look anything to write home about but until his last three starts against some of the best pacers in Australia, he was seldom out of the money.

And Butt says the little four-year-old, while beaten, acquitted himself well in each of his last three starts at Menangle.

• In the Group II Hondo Grattan Stakes he finished fifth, only 10 metres behind star pacer Self Assured pacing a blistering 1:51.01.
• In the Group II Paleface Adios Stakes, from an awkward gate six, he ran ninth to Hurricane Harley, clocking 1:51.76 and
• In the Group I Chariots Of Fire he finished ninth to Lochinvar Art in 1:51.51, sizzling his last 800 metres in 53.77 and 400 in 25.72.

“His Chariots run was enormous,” says Butt. “He missed the start through his own fault. The gate was going quite slow and he was just so well he got too keen, wanting to get on with it.”

Make Way’s little gallop behind the arm, something he’d never done before, cost him any chance but he still finished on resolutely to be only 22 metres behind the winner.

Smith gave Make Way three weeks off afterwards, during which time Butt says he has filled out nicely.

“And he’s been working great since he’s been back, as good as before any of his other races.”

Butt says he would like to have trialled Make Way before he resumed but under the COVID-19 rules he cannot as he has raced within the last three months.

Make Way is confined to racing in the Metropolitan area of New South Wales during the COVID-19 restrictions.The coronavirus regional racing rules prevent Make Way from travelling too far but Butt says he can still race at tracks away from Menangle like Penrith, Bankstown and Goulburn.

“Penrith on Thursday will be like a trial for him but he’s not too far away (from being fully fit) and, while he’ll have to be good to win from the outside of the second row, I still think he’ll go well.”

Easily the most tightly assessed horse in the race, Make Way comes in to three on the second line with the early defection of former Kiwi Mo Casino.

“It’s always tough to win from there at Penrith but he’s shown he handles the track.”

In six starts on the tight 804 metres circuit, Make Way has racked up four wins, a second and a third, mostly on pace because of its short 130 metres home straight.

“You couldn’t be too confident but with the right trip he can win.”

Make Way is a raging $1.80 favourite in the early indicative prices out for Penrith, having already clocked a slick 1:56.4 mile rate for the 2125 metre distance there.

Butt plans to run Make Way next at Menangle on Saturday week, May 2, where he hopes he will sneak into the second tier of pacers, not the best.

Under the superior NSW handicapping system, which allows horses to slide up and down the grades, Make Way will be scored on earnings in his last five starts, which amount to $10,310.

“He’s done a great job but now that he’s nearing the end of his four-year-old season he’ll be in with the big boys soon.

“We’ve protected him a bit up ‘til now but I’m sure he’s going to be competitive with them.”

Make Way races at Penrith at 9.36pm NZ time on Thursday night.