Zachary Butcher is sitting still as Sugar Apple cruises to the line at Cambridge. PHOTO: Chanelle Lawson.
Easy as pie for Sugar Apple, but first-time owner was too busy in the kitchen to watch
By Barry Lichter • 13 August 2021
The one person most excited about Sugar Apple’s win at Cambridge on Thursday night missed seeing the race.
Matt Hooper, restaurant manager at Lone Star Alexandra Park, was too busy working to see the hollow win, his very first as an owner.
But the good news was relayed to him by Lone Star owner Trevor Casey, in whose colours the horse raced, and who scored his first winner in a Lincoln Farms’ partnership.
“Matt was very excited after watching a replay of the race,” Casey said. “The horse was far too good.”
Trevor Casey … Sugar Apple was his first winner with Lincoln Farms.Casey has shares in three Lincoln Farms’ youngsters, including Thursday’s Cambridge runner-up Nirvana Franco, and Next To Me, an unraced brother to his former tough pacer Maxim.
Sugar Apple, a half brother to Lincoln Farms’ Queensland Derby winner American Dealer, was never out of third gear in his win, Zachary Butcher sitting still in the cart as he cruised to a one and a half length win in a moderate 2:44.3.
From the moment Butcher took the Sweet Lou colt to the front, the result was never in doubt, said trainer Ray Green.
“It was a glorified workout for him,” said Green of Sugar Apple who only had to run 57.7 and 28.2 for his closing sectionals.
“Zac said he was never going to get beaten.”
Also in the Sugar Apple partnership with Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street are the familiar names of American Dealer’s owners Gordon Banks and Marc Hanover, Grant Dickey, Duncan Chisholm’s Chisso’s & Wack Syndicate, Ian Kedzlie and Canterbury’s Green Machine syndicate.
Earlier in the night Nirvana Franco ran a debut second, momentarily looking the winner when she took the passing lane in the run home, before being swamped by Tony Herlihy’s debutante A Little Side Hustle.
“She was very green,” Green said. “Zac said she didn’t really know what was going on.
“It will help her that she didn’t win. She has a lot to learn and it would have been too tough for her in the next grade.”
More news in Harness
Brace for Ray and Lincoln Farms at Cambridge but Colonel’s placing just as thrilling
Ray: Preferential draw for top fillies makes it tough for everyone else in Golden Gait series
Patient owners hoping high-priced Colonel can salute at Cambridge on Thursday night
Friday’s Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup all about the standing start manners of Aussie raider
Our runners this week
Tuesday at Cambridge
Colonel Lincoln, Onyx Shard, Commander Lincoln, Debbie Lincoln, Kevin Kline, Lincoln La Moose, The Big Lebowski.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 2: Commander Lincoln
5.51pm
“Back to Cambridge and the easier amateur ranks he can get some of it. He’s an honest little horse who pays his way.”
Race 4: Onyx Shard
6.49pm
“She’s a nice filly who is training really well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her in the money in spite of the outside draw. She’d be one of the best in that field and is definitely an each-way chance.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.39pm
“He hasn’t raced for nearly 21 months but his training has been good and he should go well first-up. He’s a beautiful, big horse who probably lacks a yard of speed to be a real super horse but he’s got everything else. I expect him to go well against this lot.”
Race 7: Lincoln La Moose
8.04pm
“He’s training well and has surprised us before, like when he won his first start at Cambridge like a monster after breaking on the first turn. It’s always the way when they win their first start - it makes things hard for them after that - but he’s travelling well now and is capable of being in it.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.09pm
“He’ll be relying on a heap of good luck from the second row. His last run was a non-event. The poor little bugger couldn’t have done a better job of finding trouble. He’s trained on all right.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.09pm
“He’s training really well and he showed last time what a big motor he had, losing all that ground early and still getting up to win. He’s not famous for his gate speed but as long as he gets away safely then Maurice can put him in the race at the right time. There are a lot of horses in there that aren’t that safe who could stand on their ear. Navigating through them is always a worry. He’ll need some luck but he could give them a fright.”
Race 6: Frisco Bay
8.05pm
“He obviously can’t beat Duchess Megxit or Jeremiah but if he gets a good trip he’s a chance of getting some money. Things didn’t suit him last time - being out three wide then going to the front. He’s so hot, he over-races. He goes best if he’s allowed to slop out and find the back of something, when he generally relaxes. Even if he got back a bit, that would be all right, so long as he gets sucked along.”
