Best ‘til last - Mr Professional Lincoln Star primed to score at Awapuni

We’ll have to wait until the last race of the day at Awapuni on Saturday to see Lincoln Farms’ best chance go round, Lincoln Star.

The four-year-old turned in a solid final gallop this morning, giving trainer Lisa Latta plenty of confidence that he can improve on his last-start second at Wanganui.

“He’s a little professional this horse, who doesn’t do anything wrong.’’

Drawn four, Latta is hoping rider Robbie Hannam can possie up right in behind the speed in the eighth race, like he did last start, and, nearing peak in his third run back, be too good for his rating 65 rivals.

Lincoln Star looked the winner last time at Wanganui when he took over 250 metres from home, only to be collared late by Skyphyta.

It continued an excellent record of consistency with a win, two seconds, two thirds, a fourth and a fifth in only eight starts.

And Latta says she has yet to extend the horse to a middle distance when his staying pedigree will really kick in.

By Savabeel, Lincoln Star is out of the O’Reilly mare Dating, a desperately unlucky fourth in the 2011 New Zealand Oaks.

Lincoln’s Secret winning last campaign as soon as he was stepped up to a middle distance. PHOTO: Race Images.The jump to 2100 metres is also expected to see a dramatic improvement in Lincoln’s Secret in the fifth race.

He beat only three home fresh-up at Awapuni last month but was racing over only 1550 metres and was laying in and tied up in heavy traffic all the way down the home straight.

On Saturday talented hoop Michael McNab takes over the reins from Tim Johnson and, improved with his first-up run, he should be competitive in what is not an overly strong field.

Lincoln’s Secret won his first try over a middle distance last campaign and has failed to run well only once at that trip, when floundering on a heavy track in the Valachi Downs Championship at Pukekohe in April.

Platinum Mam’selle … victim of a shocking ride at Trentham. PHOTO: Race Images.Mam’selle gets a pardon

Latta has no qualms about backing up Platinum Mam’selle only a week after she raced at Trentham, where “a shocking ride” shipwrecked her chances.

Apprentice Wiremu Pinn had the filly posted three wide from the 800 metres in a six-horse field and when stablemate Lincoln Falls was just starting his run, her petrol gauge was bordering on empty.

Despite that she battled on bravely to be only two long necks from fourth.

Robbie Hannam gets to pilot Platinum Mam’selle in the fourth race on Saturday where a wide draw doesn’t faze Latta much.

“She will get back and we will look to get a run through them before getting to the outside and mounting our finishing burst.

“She has come through last Saturday as good as gold.’’

Platinum Mam’selle is going better than her formline suggests and, while there is plenty of form at the top the book, she will still appreciate the drop to rating 65 company.

Since she won at Trentham in January she has lined up exclusively in tough fields - the Two-Year-Old Classic at Taranaki, the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, Gold Trail Stakes and Hawkes Bay Guineas.

Kamanda Lincoln powers home to win at Riccarton at his last start - but from a good draw. PHOTO: Race Images.Kamanda cops another bad draw

At Te Rapa, Kamanda Lincoln heads the field for the rating 72 event over 2400 metres where he again has a bad draw to contend with.

Kamanda Lincoln showed what he could do from a good alley when he won the rating 82 2500 metre race on New Zealand Cup day at Riccarton.

“But he does pull quite hard and from 10 it’s going to be hard for him to get across, find cover and get off the bit.’’

Up-and-coming stablemate Fictitious, on the other hand, will jump from three and put herself right in the race, a huge advantage, Latta says.

“But he’s come through his trip to Riccarton well, the 10-day freshen-up at Kamada Park has done him the world of good, and he’s pleased me in his work this week.’’

Latta acknowledged that Kamanda Lincoln is quite fresh and might need the run but she says the race is a key stepping stone to his summer campaign.

“We’ll get through the race before deciding where he goes next. There are plenty of options for him.’’

Kamanda Lincoln holds nominations for both the Wellington and Auckland Cups.