Watch the stewards’ replays and you’ll see why Stephen likes Lincoln King on Tuesday

You only have to watch the stewards’ video replays of Lincoln King’s last race at Te Aroha to see why trainer Stephen Marsh says he’s going to be hard to beat there on Tuesday.

Lincoln King was second-up from a spell, over an unsuitably short 1600 metres, when he picked up strongly in the run home and ran right up in behind the leaders on the rails, only to be stopped dead in his tracks. (Look for the horse coming from the tail of the field in the Wellfield Lodge colours of black, with a yellow maltese cross and yellow and red striped sleeves)

Rider Sam Collett reported afterwards the horse was going great guns at the time and would have been right in the finish.

Instead, she was forced to sit up on Lincoln King who went to the line untested in 11th spot, contrary to NZ Racing’s online comment which said he was never in the hunt.

The run came as a surprise to Marsh who suspected he might be a little flat after his booming fresh-up second at Avondale.

But Marsh has no such reservations about how Lincoln King will go in the eighth race at Te Aroha on Tuesday where he steps up to his favoured 2200 metre middle distance.

“He’ll be hard to beat. His work since has been really good and I expect he’ll get back from his outside draw and really attack the line.”

Te Aroha, with its long 500 metre straight, will play right into his hands, there are no superstars opposing him, and with rain about he should get the sting out of the ground which he prefers. The ground was a dead 4 this morning with showers forecast today.

Marsh took Lincoln King slowly last season, giving him only five starts, but the Shocking gelding struck form as soon as he stepped him up over ground at Avondale in April, winning over Tuesday’s 2200 metres in dead 5 footing.

Marsh says the horse has shown enough staying promise to be a chance of contesting the Dunstan Stayers’ Championship (2400m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.