Extreme outside draw a stumbling block for Lincoln Moonlight but he’s a top three chance

The outside barrier draw looks to have torpedoed Lincoln Moonlight’s winning chance at Kranji on Friday night but trainer Shane Baertschiger hopes he can still run top three.

Drawn 14 of 14 in the fourth race over 1100 metres on the polytrack, Lincoln Moonlight is set a big task.

But the three-year-old showed he had come back in fine order when jumping from a similar gate 10 fresh-up a month ago and fighting on bravely for third.

Lincoln Moonlight ran out of condition over the last 150 metres that day but as Baertschiger points out he was beaten only by a couple of two-year-olds who had 6.5kg and 8kg less to carry.

“He went better than I thought he would,’’ says Baertschiger. “It’s hard to give that amount of weight away.”

Lincoln Moonlight looking in good racing trim this week at his Kranji stable.Stranded four and three wide in midfield, Lincoln Moonlight came even wider on the home turn and ran right into the race halfway down the stretch.

“Midfield three wide with cover is about the best we can hope for again from 14, but he’s still going well enough to be a top three chance.

“He’d need everything to go his way to win on Friday but next start he can definitely win.”

Baertschiger is just pleased to have Lincoln Moonlight back racing like he can - he’s already won more than S$40,000 with five thirds from only seven starts. But in January be came back from a spell, knuckled over on jumping, and ran sixth, pulling up lame.

“We did scintigraphy and everything on him but could never pinpoint exactly what it was. I suspect he must have had a hairline fracture and we tipped him out for six weeks.”

Local tipsters have Lincoln Moonlight right in contention in Friday night’s S$75,000 race, the only other form runners being River Radiance, Golden Kid and the 15-start maiden Gamely.

How the local tipsters see Lincoln Moonlight’s race.

Darci’s Boy has lost all form since this win in April.Darci’s Boy will be having one of his last starts for Baertschiger and LIncoln Farms at Kranji on Sunday in the fifth race at 7.20pm NZ time.

The six-year-old is booked to leave for Malaysia after racing terribly in his last three starts.

“He’s lost all form,” says Baertschiger.

“He is quite ungenuine and simply isn’t putting in. Even when Bruce (Marsh) had him he ran hot and cold.”

Baertschiger looked to have turned the horse around in his first two starts for the stable when third and first in March and April but it has been all downhill since.

From 36 starts Darci’s Boy has won S$71,422.

On The Razz, who has been unplaced in five starts for Stephen Gray, finds himself in the same race on Sunday but, he too, is on a short leash.

Gray had hoped to run On The Razz over 1600 metres this weekend but he was eliminated from the race.

“He’s now running over 1400 metres and it will be a bit short for him. But it’s important he has a race. He’ll run home really well and then we’ll get him up over a mile and 2000 metres on the grass.

“He’s thrived lately and looks fantastic.”