Zachary gives Frankie Major the thumbs up in class drop at Cambridge on Thursday night

It’s not hard to work out why Zachary Butcher was keen to get back on Frankie Major at Cambridge on Thursday night.

The three-year-old contests the eighth race, for rating 39 to 46 pacers (plus two one-race winners rated 47 and 48), which represents a massive drop in class on the opposition he faced at Auckland last Friday.

Butcher drove the winner Sooner The Bettor that night who, fresh-up, downed a strong Northern Stakes line-up in a seriously fast time 2:38.9 for the 2200 metres.

Frankie Major, in the hands of stable junior Nathan Delany, beat only two home, 12 lengths away, but from four deep on the pegs had no chance of making up the leeway.

The colt still clocked 2:41.3, a time which would comfortably put away the field he faces on Thursday.

Trainer Ray Green says on Frankie Major’s best performances he would be “extremely dangerous”.

“Frankie’s always a danger in a race like this. He has speed and manners and should be suited by the second row draw. He won’t have to be rushed out from there.”

Green and his drivers discovered some time ago that the best version of Frankie Major is always seen when he is not burned out of the gate.

And Butcher knows that only too well, his last drive on the horse - at Cambridge in July - complying with that playbook to the letter.

Allowing the horse to drop out early, Butcher still had him second last until the 600 when he lit him up with a lightning run round the field.

Frankie Major had the race won until the last two strides when gobbled up by the late-charging Claude.

“Zac was pretty keeen to get on him and he should go well in that field.”

Most of Frankie Major’s opposition on Thursday are one-race winners, far below the top class opposition he has been racing for most of his career.

Major Achievement … won from a wide gate last start but faces a tougher field on Thursday night. PHOTO: Ange Bridson/Race Images.Stablemate Major Achievement is one of those and, while he won his last start at Cambridge from the outside of the gate, that was against a much weaker maiden field and he ended up fluking a perfect one-one sit.

“He needs a bit more time to come to it but he might have improved. We’ll see.”

Lenny Lincoln, whose career is only just starting out, looks well placed from the pole in the second race to put some runs on the board.

The Vincent two-year-old beat only one home on debut at Auckland two weeks ago but from four deep on the pegs and last on the home turn finished on OK for Monika Ranger.

In-form driver Andre Poutama, who handled the horse in a workout win at Pukekohe last Saturday, takes the reins on Thursday night.

Lenny Lincoln … drawn to show what he’s got. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.And the way the horse sprinted from the trail in a 27.7 last quarter suggested he has made improvement.

“He seems to have trained on OK,” Green said. “We’ll find out where he sits from the good draw but he’s very honest and I think he’ll go well.

“He does nothing wrong and seems to have a little bit of speed.”

Obadiah Dragon needs a scratching to secure a start and, while he would follow out Lenny Lincoln, Green says he won’t be rushing to back him just yet.

The Fear The Dragon two-year-old finished fourth behind Lenny Lincoln at the workouts, three lengths astern.

“It all depends on what trip he gets from there.”

Annoyed

The trip that Riverboy Ben seems likely to have to endure in the last race, annoys Green.

“His fourth at Auckland was a good run and he would have been a serious chance had he drawn the front line.”

Green can’t understand why barriers were decided by a random draw when the race has a 10 point spread in ratings.

“It should have been a preferential draw based on ratings and then, as an R36, he would have drawn three.

“Fair enough if they’d all been 40 to 42 but how can you have a rating 45 horse drawing three and a rating 36 three the second line?”

Riverboy Ben turned in his best run for some time last week at Alexandra Park when he led and sprinted clear turning for home, reeled in only at the 100 by D J Rock, My Copy and Benson Dude.

Jilliby Illuminate … tipped to do a good job in Australia where she is owned by the Levarg Racing Group.Green doesn’t like the chances of Toe The Line in the fourth race, especially from gate seven.

“He’s at Cambridge for a reason, he’s limited. I suppose he could get some money but he’d need a good trip.”

Australian-owned Jilliby Illuminate, scratched with a snotty nose, will be on a flight to Australia on Sunday.

“She’s a nice filly and will go well over there.”