Line Up, outer, shows high speed for Zachary Butcher to reel in leader Cloud Break at Pukekohe today.
When Ray and Zachary get it all to Line Up, watch out for the ‘whoosh’
By Barry Lichter • 5 January 2019
It might not have looked pretty today but when trainer Ray Green gets well bred colt Line Up geared up right, and the penny drops, he’ll have a brand of speed few of his peers can match.
Line Up didn’t win his heat at the Pukekohe trials today, and didn’t even get round without making a couple of mistakes, but his speed still carried him within a head of winner Cloud Break in the fastest mile run by the babies at Pukekohe this season.
Driven by Zachary Butcher, the brother to 17-race winner Partyon gave away five lengths on the first turn when he started pacing very roughly and did everything but gallop full on.
Line Up settled at the tail of the four-horse field until Butcher lit the fuse with 500 metres to run and he swept up from last to take the lead from Cloud Break - only to start pacing roughly again and lose another two lengths.
But when Butcher got the colt balanced again he showed rare acceleration to all but pick up the leader in the closing 150 metres.
Butcher clocked Line Up to sprint his last 400 metres in 27.5, a fine effort considering the mile was run in 2:02.1.
Zachary Butcher … “He went whoosh.”“He went whoosh,’’ says Butcher. “He’s got quick speed and feels like the type who will come to it.
“They went a lot quicker today and he’s just got to get used to that speed.’’
Green says yesterday’s run was a bit of an experiment after they let out Line Up’s hopples by two holes.
“They were a bit tight last time but he didn’t quite cope with it today so I’ll pull the hopples up one hole next time.’’
Green likes the colt who cost $130,000 as a yearling, and says if he keeps improving he could join his stablemates Perfect Stride, Double Or Nothing and Sir Tiger in the next Young Guns heat for colts and geldings at Auckland on February 8.
Green’s own colt Copy That is also on the list of potential Young Guns reinforcements after his recent trial wins although the youngster continued his frustrating run of breaks on the same turn today, losing his early lead, before settling third and running on fairly to run fourth, two and a half lengths from the winner.
Tommy Lincoln, third, held a length margin over Copy That at the finish after driver Craig Sharpe reported he was left flat-footed on the home turn.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
