Debbie Lincoln clocks a record mile rate of 1:53.5 for a three-year-old over 1700m at Auckland. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.
You’ve got it wrong, Green tells bookies of Debbie Lincoln’s $61 price for Nevele R Final
By Barry Lichter • 10 November 2025
The bookies who priced Debbie Lincoln a $61 chance in Tuesday’s Nevele R Fillies’ Final haven’t done their homework, says co-trainer Ray Green.
Lincoln Farms’ filly might have a wide draw in the $200,000 Addington feature, but Green says that doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll go back off the gate.
“We might go forward. If you go back you get nothing. If they run their last quarter in 27 and you’re back, you’re no chance and we’re not here to just follow them around.
“I think she’s got the gate speed to be put into the race. You’ve got to be handy to beat the good ones and we don’t want to be stuck behind some of the others.”
Green says while Debbie Lincoln is the 11th favourite in the 14-horse field, she has been racing much better horses than many of her rivals.
In her last start, in a Metro Final at Auckland, Debbie Lincoln roared home from the back, running the outstanding closing sectionals of 55 and 26.4, by far the best in the race won by Double Parked.
Before that she was collared only late, after leading, by the up-and-coming Captain Sampson, clocking 1:54.4 for the mile.
But, easily her most impressive recent performance was three starts back when she showed a lot of courage to down Joyride over 1700 metres, clocking a mile rate of 1:53.5, the fastest ever run by a three-year-old of either sex, around Alexandra Park.
“She’s plenty good enough and shouldn’t be paying $61,” says Green.
“The one drawn two inside us, Arafura, looks the one to beat but Debbie is as good as anything in the race in my opinion, but then I’m biased.
“It’s not going to be easy but I’m hopeful. She’s done well down here and is in good shape.”
Green gave the Lather Up filly a sprint up around Ken Barron’s track on Saturday and says she was spot on.
“I didn’t time her - I don’t need to see how fast she can go - but she felt really good doing it. If she races as good as she can, I think she’ll be competitive with those good fillies.”
All going well, Green will stay in the south with Debbie Lincoln for the $225,000 NZ Oaks on November 21.
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Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
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.”
