Baertschiger calls time on old Lincoln Road

Lincoln Farms’ most successful galloper in Singapore, Lincoln Road, has been retired after a bleeding attack.

The Swiss Ace seven-year-old was leading round the home turn at Kranji last Sunday when rider John Powell felt him weaken and he came back to scale bleeding from both nostrils.

Trainer Shane Baertschiger immediately called time on the horse’s career and he is destined for Thailand and a farm for retired racehorses.

Baertschiger says Lincoln Road has battled with a fetlock joint problem this year and he was at an age when he was starting to struggle to compete with the younger horses.

A younger Lincoln Road was altogether a different animal for Lincoln Farms, who sent him to Singapore after he was placed in his third start here at Hawera in March, 2015.

Six months later he began his career with a five-win streak at Kranji when his speed over the shorter trips on the polytrack proved devastating.

“He went through the grades quickly but he never won on the turf and never beyond 1100 metres,’’ says Baertschiger.

The horse’s best performance arguably came in the Group III Garden City Trophy (1200m) in August, 2016 when he was beaten just half a length by Rafaello.

Lincoln Road retires with a career record of six wins, six placings and S$426,592 in stakes.

Lucky Lincoln, who won four of his only 13 starts for fellow Singapore trainer Bruce Marsh, has also been retired after recurring tendon problems.

The Savabeel seven-year-old, who won S$163,035, had not raced since winning his last start in class four company in March, 2017.