Franco Nandor ready to tee up on new course on Friday for Fox and friends
By Barry Lichter • 10 June 2021
Franco Nandor’s not a line-up-and-win job like some of Lincoln Farms’ previous Queensland runners but trainer Al Barnes is still predicting a bold Albion Park debut on Friday night.
The Mach Three colt has trialled well since his arrival at Barnes’ Marburg stable and from three on the gate in the fifth race, the trainer is hoping he’ll weigh in.
“I’m happy with him. There’ll be a bit of natural improvement in him but he’s ready for his first assignment.
International golfer Ryan Fox with Franco Nandor. He was gifted a 20% share in the high priced yearling by Lincoln Farms’ John Street after winning the Wairakei Invitational last year.“Hayden was rapt with his work leading up to his second trial, he really liked him, and I’m sure he’ll be competitive.”
Franco Nandor finished 22 metres behind topliner Spankem in his first trial, run in a fast 1:55.5 mile rate for 1660 metres, and showed improvement last Friday when leading all the way from seven on the gate in a 1:58.2 mile rate, home in 57.5 and 28.1.
“He trialled well and showed good gate speed,” Barnes said. “He got a little tired in the last 50 metres but he was entitled to as he did a bit of work early.
“He’s got tons of ability, whether he’s genuine enough to show it, only time will tell.”
Franco Nandor won two of his 13 starts in New Zealand for Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street, top Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox, Denis Ebert, Steve MacDonald, Chris Prutton and Wayne Seebeck, and gets into a rating 50 to 55 event on Friday.
“It’s not a bad field, very even, and he should be prominent in the running - with his gate speed he’ll put himself there.
“He has to carry the old fat fella (Barnes himself) so that’s a handicap, but he’ll be competitive and whatever he does, he’ll improve on.
“I think he’ll be a bit like Bondi Shake, never far away.”
Franco Nandor will be at lucrative odds on Friday, however, as he runs into impressive last start all-the-way winner The Raconteur, drawn the pole. The Jim and Sandi Curtin-bred Art Major gelding clocked a 1:55 mile rate in his second start at Albion Park last week for Sydney trainer KerryAnn Morris.
Man Of Action runs on for fourth at Redcliffe in the best closing sectionals of the day.Turned the corner
With the recent departure of son Hayden to work for Pete McMullen, Barnes will also drive Man Of Action in the third race, confident he’s turned the corner.
“I’m really happy with him. His last two runs have been super and he’s starting to hit the line again with good sectionals.”
At Redcliffe last Sunday Man Of Action finished a much improved fourth, coming from four deep on the marker line with a strong finish to record the fastest closing sectionals of the day, 56.64 and 28.36.
“There’s been a lot of work put into him, trying a lot of different things to get him happy and with an ounce of luck he’ll be there on Friday as he seems to want to to do it again.
“Three the second row is fine for him as that’s how I want to drive him. Hopefully I’ll be buried away three fence and he’ll run on.”
The clock shows how well Man Of Action raced last Sunday.
Man Of Action races at 9.22pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday night.
Franco Nandor races at 10.22pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday night.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 2: Debbie Lincoln
5.53pm
“She was good fresh-up but a bit disappointing last week. She’s still very green and I’m not sure what to think about her yet.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.12pm
“He’s the best performed of them all and will get a good trip from one so that means he’s the best of our bunch. He raced well below his best down at Christchurch and we think he might have had a bit of a virus - there was a lot of it down there.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.12pm
“He wasn’t getting the corners 100% last week. We’ve changed the bit to see if he steers better. He’d be very dangerous if he did but he could be better left-handed.”
Race 5: Kevin Kline
7.12pm
“He’s doing nothing wrong and hopefully he’ll keep going well. Maurice said he jogged it last week and the step-up in opposition shouldn’t be too much of a worry for him.”
Race 5: Tyson
7.12pm
“He’s a strange little horse. You never know what to expect. Some days he’s brilliant, others he’s hopeless. We’ll see how he gets around this time.”
Race 5: Lincoln Lou
7.12pm
“It’s a shame he’s drawn the outside because he’s training well and trialled well, but he should still go a good race. He always goes well if there’s nothing wrong. He was hitting his knees down in Christchurch.”
Race 7: The Big Lebowski
8.04pm
“If Sooner The Bettor gets to the front obviously he’ll be hard to run down but he’s no Merlin and I think we’re a big chance if he does everything right. He’s not out of it from 20 metres.”
Race 10: Frisco Bay
9.38pm
“The race will do him good after a short break. You can put a line through that last run at Ashburton. I think he was one who had a few passengers on board (a virus) because he wasn’t anywhere near as good as he had been. He went big at Addington in his previous start and was unlucky. If he’d been one slot closer he would have won easily.”
Race 11: Onyx Shard
10.08pm
“She’s a beautiful filly but it’s her first run for seven months so I’m not expecting anything too flash. She’s training really well, and driving beautifully, but she might need a race or two before we see the best of her. If she gets home well this week, I’ll be happy.”
Race 11: Commander Lincoln
10.08pm
“He’s an honest little horse who’s always thereabouts without being dangerous. Fergie might wake him up a bit.”
