Whiz On Bye has drawn to show his Auckland debut run was all wrong. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.
Two recent workout wins show Whiz On Bye much better than his inglorious debut
By Barry Lichter • 22 December 2021
Whiz On Bye hardly knew where to put his feet on debut at Alexandra Park last month, beating only a couple home and finishing 25 lengths from the winner.
But Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green reckons it’s best to simply put the line through that run when assessing his chances at Cambridge on Christmas Eve.
“He’s a work in progress but from his good barrier draw (three) he looks the best of our four chances,” says Green.
“He’s a typical American Ideal - they take a few starts to find their feet - and he’s getting better and better.”
Green says the two-year-old colt has been training and trialling much better since his inglorious debut, when he worked hard to find the death seat then paced very roughly at various intervals, losing contact with the pack.
Whiz On Bye has won both his workouts in the interim, posting a useful mile rate of 2:03 in the latest on December 11 when he led throughout for Andrew Drake to beat Tuscon Tiger and American Legacy.
“He’s a chance if he races up to that form,” Green said.
Whiz On Bye, who will be driven by Zachary Butcher on Friday, has the bloodlines to eventually make an impact being out of the family of dual New Zealand Cup winner Il Vicolo.
His dam Vivacious Madonna is a half sister to Stunin Cullen (19 wins), Coburg (10 wins) and Temepara Cullen (5 wins).
Green is looking for an improved showing from Nirvana Franco (race two) whom he admits has been disappointing.
Ruunner-up on debut at Cambridge in August she has hasn’t had the best of luck in three subsequent starts.
“But she still hasn’t lived up to her earlier promise. She hasn’t shown us yet what she feels like in training.”
Nirvana Franco got herself into a hopeless position early last start at Auckland after pacing roughly and breaking briefly on the first bend.
She was doing her best work late for fifth, pacing the fastest last quarter in the race, albeit only 31.3.
The opposition is easier on Friday but she will still need luck from six on the gate.
Bet On The Tiger has his first try left-handed on Friday. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.Bet On The Tiger has fared even worse in the barrier draw for race six, on the outside of the front line.
“It won’t be easy from out there but he’s been training and trialling very well left-handed.
“He’ll go an honest race.”
From five, Green is hoping Louie The Punter can cross and make the front in the 11th race.
“If he made the front he’d be a chance. He tends to pull a bit hard when he doesn’t and he’s not a nice horse to drive when he’s parked.
“He’ll need a bit of luck against Cran Dalgety’s two-year-old Casino Action.”
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
