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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Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Mark Dux’s comments
Wednesday night at Redcliffe
Race 1: Captain Nemo
7.17pm NZ time
“It’s a reasonable field, they’re not push-overs, but they’re all beatable. It will all come down to who gets the right trip. If we have something go our way we could get some of it as there’s not a lot between them and I don’t think he’s far off now. We’ve got a bad draw again and there’s a bit of speed inside us so I’ll tell Angus to just play it by ear.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln La Moose
7.32pm
“He’s a pretty good horse. He was still below his best last time at Cambridge - he needed the race - but went very well for second behind King’s Watch. With his ace draw, he should be right up there for Zac (Butcher). He always looked a bit delicate but he’s got tougher.”
Race 4: Obadiah Dragon
7.32pm
“He’ll go a good race but our others look better here. His last run was below par for him so we took a blood off him and he had a bit of a virus going on. He was at the tail end of it but it was enough to stop him.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.32pm
“Even if he’s half a run short, I don’t think it will matter, he’ll still be too good for this lot. He only had a mild virus which came right with treatment and he’s trained on well since. He feels pretty good and if I was betting man, I’d bet him for sure based on his last run, which was massive.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.32pm
“He’s in a ‘coming of age’ phase. He rushed up beside them last start and wanted to lay all over them and give them a hug. But that’s normal coltish behaviour. He does that in training as well, rushes up and switches off. He has a lot of ability but also a few little behaviour traits that we need to get on top of.”
Race 6: My Copy
8.24pm
“It won’t be easy from four on the second row but he’s very honest and, if opportunity knocks, he’ll be right there. If he gets a trip, he’s always ready to pounce.”
Race 9: Tyson
9.39pm
“He should be one of the favourites. The raw ability is there and he’ll definitely win races as he has a bit of speed. How far he will take us we have yet to find out but I thought he did really well last time given the run he had.”
