
Turning for home at Pukekohe today and Hampton Banner is cruising behind Be My Rock and alongside Thumbs Up.
Hampton Banner new ‘surprise package’ after smashing the clock in Pukekohe workout
Hampton Banner showed he wouldn’t be long winning a race at Auckland with a sizzling workout at Pukekohe today.
The improving three-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight ran a time seldom seen over 2050 metres at Pukekohe when he closed best to win the up to rating 57 heat in 2:32.2, a fiery mile rate of 1:59.5.
In a tight finish Hampton Banner ran over the top of two Barry Purdon-trained runners Be My Rock and Thumbs Up, recording closing sectionals of 58.2 and 28.4 with driver Zachary Butcher revealing he only asked the horse to run at the 100 metre mark when the other pair tired.
“I wasn’t going to pull out of the trail and just let him run to the line but then those other two stopped. They were getting plenty and I was only cruising. I was rapt with the run.”
Butcher said Hampton Banner, an easy maiden winner at Cambridge earlier in the month, left the gate “like he had a bee sting in his arse.”
And when he eased to trail Be My Rock and Scott Phelan, instead of fighting him, the horse dropped the bit and relaxed beautifully.
“We were really running. But he never put in a rough stride and felt really good.”
Butcher agreed with trainer Ray Green when he declared Hampton Banner could be a late blooming “surprise package.”
“He’s a lovely mover, and is a beautifully balanced pacer.” said Green. “He’s just had a few lameness issues all the way through. But he looks to be over all that now.”
Hampton Banner, a brother to six race winner Scarlett Banner, was credited with a half head and half head margin at the post but had his rivals well covered.
Leading Young Guns candidate Platinum Stride is pacing powerfully outside newcomer Old Town Road as they wind up for the dash home.So too did the zippy Platinum Stride, who Green ran in the two horse two-year-old 1609 metre heat only to help trainer Josh Dickie with his newcomer Old Town Road.
Butcher set a moderate tempo with the Captaintreacherous colt, allowed Dickie to rail up inside him turning for home but was still far too good, scoring by half a length.
Platinum Stride was never extended, closing in 59.3 and 27.9 to record 2:06.8 for the trip, three seconds slower than his run the previous week.
Butcher reported the colt paced nicely and is right on target for the first Young Guns heat at Auckland on December 13.
Green’s other two Young Guns aspirants, Captain Nemo and Bondi Shake, will join Platinum Stride in a special trial at Alexandra Park next Friday night, expected to be run before the races start.
Double Or Nothing (Andrew Sharpe) and Tommy Lincoln (Andre Poutama) during the running of their heat today.Earlier Tommy Lincoln and Double Or Nothing were no match for the talented Barry Purdon pair Henry Hu and Major Jellis in the rating 58 to rating 66 heat over 2050 metres.
Double Or Nothing sat third with Tommy Lincoln fourth and there they stayed, Tommy Lincoln having trouble negotiating the final bend before balancing up in the run home to finish four and a half lengths from the lead pair, a neck in front of Double Or Nothing.
Green has treated Tommy Lincoln for a lameness issue since his last race when he was KOed after locking wheels but did not look to be travelling well anyway.
Today he was wearing a guider to keep him off his knee, gear which Green says he far prefers to spreaders which tend to make horses tire.
More news in Harness
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Ray needs good results from blood test and gear change to repel southern fillies’ charge
Fergie takes the initiative and Onyx Shard delivers again for the galloping buddies
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Nathan’s comments
Tuesday twilight at Cambridge
Race 2: Dreams Of Eric
4.53pm
“He’s drawn out a bit this week but I don’t think that will worry him too much. The driver’s pretty confident and we’ve got hopple shorteners on him to help him burn off the gate. Zac was pretty happy with his run last time. He only did what he needed to and there’s not much difference in the quality of the field. That one of Andre’s who beat him last time (St John Eight) is quite a nice horse who’d been racing well at Auckland.”

Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Angelic Copy
6.09pm
Update: Scratched
“There is some doubt over whether she will start and we’re taking blood tomorrow morning to see how she is. We eliminated the tie-up problem but after she trained below par this week we took a blood and it showed she had a virus.”
Race 3: Lincoln Linda
6.09pm
“She’ll need a lot of luck from the outside of the second row. She was too fierce again last time, but I’m hoping the likely faster pace on Friday will suit her.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lover
6.40pm
“Lincoln Lover isn’t training as well as Prince Lincoln but he has the inside draw to help him. And he’s a tough little bugger who’s not one to shirk his responsibilities.”
Race 4: Prince Lincoln
6.40pm
“If I had to choose between them I’d say Prince Lincoln is the better chance. He’s training very well and he’d be a chance of getting some of it with luck from his wide gate.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.23pm
“I’m not holding my breath. He’s gone some handy races against the very best but he’s not in career best form. I’m just hoping the 2700 metres might suit him better. I think he might need a decent break.”