Whiz On Bye (Zachary Butcher) unleashes a terrific sprint in the run home at Cambridge last Friday.
Whiz electric on Christmas Eve but he needs to pace better at Cambridge on Wednesday
By Barry Lichter • 28 December 2021
Whiz On Bye’s electric home stretch sprint at Cambridge on Christmas Eve gave a glimpse into the horse’s true ability.
And Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green says if the horse can do things right at Cambridge’s Wednesday twilight meeting, his form will take a dramatic improvement.
The American Ideal two-year-old might have come up a neck short last week but his recovery to make up half a dozen lengths in the last 200 metres didn’t go un-noticed.
After pacing roughly round the first turn and again at the 700 metres, Whiz On Bye was last to reach the 500 metre marker. And when he mixed his gait again turning for home, his chances looked forlorn.
It was a virtual carbon copy of his debut run at Auckland when he simply couldn’t get it together and dropped off the bunch while hopping and skipping like a real novice.
“He just needs to get his head around it,” Green said. “He’s a little unruly, a bit like Copy That used to be, but he’s quite promising.
“He was the best horse in the race last week, admittedly not racing against derby horses, but he should be hard to beat again if he does everything right.”
Green likes the fact Whiz On Bye has drawn one in the fourth ace, from where he’ll get his chance to lead out for new driver Maurice McKendry.
“If he can do that, he’ll be right in it.”
The chances are it will be stablemate Bet On The Tiger who comes calling for the front.
Last Friday driver Zachary Butcher used plenty of petrol to cross from the outside of the gate and lead on Bet On The Tiger.
On Wednesday he moves in to gate five, which should mean he can play for the top with far less effort, leaving him more oomph at the finish.
“I think he’s a great chance of being in the money,” Green said.
“I was really pleased with the way he went last week. He’s shown he can do it now and he’s getting better with each start.”
Major Grace … gets her chance to pay a dividend from the ace draw. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.Major Grace, out of the money in all her seven starts at Auckland, gets her best chance to pay a dividend in the second race, drawn the ace against easier opposition.
“I doubt if anything will cross her. She hasn’t had the chance to run in front before and, if she can hold it, she’s a realistic chance.
“She’s very honest and they’re not a stellar bunch.”
Louie The Punter rounds out the night for Lincoln Farms in the seventh race, hampered only by a niggly six draw.
Though only fourth in his first try round Cambridge last week, Louie had to work very hard early to reach the front.
“He paced 2:41.9 and was still trying at the finish. But he set himself up to be beaten. If he didn’t pull quite so hard he’d be a chance.”
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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.”
