Besotted (Simon Lawson) springs a massive upset in the 2014 Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park.
Whatever happened to … Besotted?
By Barry Lichter • 29 October 2018
It was a dream 10 months in 2013-14 for Lincoln Farms when their showy black Besotted bagged seven wins, culminating in a shock victory over Elios and champion mare Adore Me in the $100,000 Taylor Mile at Auckland. But whatever happened to the horse who rocked punters that night with a $42 win dividend?
We never saw the best of Besotted, a “great horse’’ according to trainer Ray Green, given he was saddled with multiple problems all his life.
A week after he won the Taylor Mile as a five-year-old, he contested the Messenger, and for the second time in his career was sidelined for 16 months with a suspensory ligament injury.
When he made it back to the track he managed to win one of eight starts then was promptly dispatched to Perth where he raced on a 50-50 deal from the stable of leading trainer Gary Hall.
Arriving in Western Australia in mid-January, 2016, Besotted’s bad luck continued.
Beset with a lingering abscess, farriers eventually dug it right out and discovered a 5cm chunk of wood embedded in his foot.
Besotted finally made it back to the track in April of 2016 when he ran third only to damage his suspensory ligament again.
“We just chucked him out into the back paddock and I wasn’t going to bring him back again,’’ says Hall.
Besotted was out for a month short of two years and might well have stayed there but one of the girls in Hall’s stable decided she wanted to have a go with him.
“He actually won a couple of races earlier this year.
“But I did a lung wash and discovered he was also a bleeder. I don’t know whether he’ll get back to the races but he’d never reach any great heights again anyway.’’
Now 10, Besotted has won 17 of his 70 starts.
More news in Harness
Omaha Lincoln long in the odds but he has enough toe to say he won’t be entirely beached
Watch Sammy Lincoln charge home and you’ll want to be on at Cambridge on Thursday night
Lincoln Wave scorches in, still on target for richer races and Sammy’s making progress too
Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Omaha Lincoln
4.49pm
“He’s never been to Cambridge, and it’s his first time off the place, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go well - he’s certainly got enough speed to do the business. It’s guesswork trying to assess him against the others but I think he’ll do everything right so he’s a chance.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
6.51pm
“She is a bit one-dimensional - she’ll take charge of proceedings when the gate leaves. She could get parked but if she got a cheque I’d be happy.”
Race 6: Leo Lincoln
7.22pm
“He was taking ground off the winner last week and I don’t think the step up to 2700 will make much difference, he’s race fit now. He’ll do what he can do, he’s no champion, but he’s got the draw, he steps well and he won’t be far away.”
Race 7: Lincoln Wave
7.52pm
“The draw is awkward over the sprint distance at Cambridge but he’s absolutely capable of being right in the fray if he happened to get a good trip - he’s an improver every time he goes to the races. Not many of the others have run 1:54.”
Race 7: Sammy Lincoln
7.52pm
“I thought he did well to finish third last week after being parked out. The draw makes it very hard but he’s got real speed and if he dropped into it late, it wouldn’t surprise me if he got home really well.”
Race 10: Spiritual Bliss
9.24pm
“They’ll know they’ve been to the races if she gets any kind of trip. She was parked the whole way last time in 1:52 and wasn’t far off them. I don’t really want to see her parked again but you’d think Tytate would duck for cover knowing we’d say in front. She’s tough and reliable - she hasn’t gone a bad race since we’ve had her - and you know she’ll put herself in the race.”
Race 10: Another Cullect
9.24pm
“The outside is not a good draw for her but, if they go hard, it will suit her.”
