Frisco Bay explosive winner and The Big Lebowski hints at more excitement to come

It’s too soon to know if Frisco Bay is up to tackling a derby but trainer Ray Green is liking the path the three-year-old is now on.

Once thought to be the best of Lincoln Farms’ early two-year-olds, Frisco Bay went through a stage where he got too stressed out and beat himself up.

But at Alexandra Park on Saturday night, the three-year-old took his latest prep stats to two wins and a second from four starts when he smashed his rivals in the final race.

Green particularly liked the way the gelding sat quietly in the trial for driver Zachary Butcher before exploding up the passing lane to win, untested, by a length and three-quarters in a slick 2:41.5 for the 2200 metres.

“His manners are a lot better now. For his first few races he was a bit of a runaway but now he relaxes nicely and drives well.

“Zac said he was good in behind. Round the corner when the others were whipping he said it fired him up a bit but he hung on to him until he saw daylight.

“No way they were going to beat him when he sat in the trail and he won really well in the end.

“He’s a nice horse. He always showed a bit and we thought he was our best two-year-old early on. Now he’s actually showing it.

“You’d have to think he has a lot more wins in him. I don’t know if he’s a derby horse or not. A bit of improvement could be needed for that.

“But from now on he’ll have to front up to those horses. We’ll just take it week by week and see where he takes us.”

Green, who bought the Downbytheseaside gelding for just $9000 as a weanling before going into partrnership with Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, said there was a lot to like about the horse.

“He’s nicely gaited and has enough speed to get a good trip. I wish I had a couple more like him.”

Frisco Bay, who was originally opened at $6 by the TAB bookies, now boasts a bankroll of $44,726 from just 16 starts, with three wins and four placings.

Close fourth

Almost as pleasing on the night for Green was the big performance by The Big Lebowski to finish a close fourth in the Spring Cup (2200m).

In his first race for 15 months, and having only his second standing start, the giant pacer made a safe, if steady, beginning from the inside for champion reinsman Tony Herlihy.

And when he followed eventual winner Sooner The Bettor into the race on the home turn Green thought he looked to be going as well as anything in the field.

“He got home so well and really dug in at the finish. He was poking in between Sooner The Bettor and Merlin at the line.

“I was thrilled with the run. He’d had only one and a half trials (he broke badly at the start in the second one) and was thrown in the deep end.”

In finishing a neck, a length and a head from Sooner The Bettor, The Big Lebowski paced the trip in a swift 2:42.9.

The Big Lebowski will take his next step on a possible New Zealand Cup campaign in the $40,000 The Holmes DG (2700m) at Auckland on October 4.

Before Saturday night he sat 38th in the entry order for the November 12 feature at Addington.