Latta: Lincoln Melody pretty slippery and she will play an even better tune come the autumn

Trainer Lisa Latta will be happy to work through the grades in the meantime with impressive Otaki winner Lincoln Melody as she continues to strengthen.

The Savabeel mare made her rivals look second rate yesterday when, first-up for seven months, over a distance well short of her best, she scored by nearly three lengths.

It was a performance which surprised even Latta, and one which she credited to a great ride by apprentice Tim Johnson who hunted her up along the rails early, got her off the fence at the 700 metre mark, didn’t panic when held up 500 metres out, then produced her with a well timed run in the stretch.

“She does go well fresh but she’s obviously strengthened up a lot,’’ says Latta. “She was just too weak last time in.’’

Latta has always held a good opinion of the now four-year-old, however, and even lined her up in last March’s New Zealand Oaks after she cleared her maiden status with a win over 2050 metres.

“She’ll be even better in the autumn so we’ll just get her through the grades for now.

“She’s in an awkward grade at the moment so we’ll win another race or two before we set her for anything.’’

Lincoln Melody is bred to be good. She cost Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street $100,000 as a yearling, bought from the draft of his mate Milan Park Stud owner Tony Rider who operates the Hamilton Pak ’N’ Save supermarket.

A pedigree with a strong Waikato Stud influence.By champion stallion Savabeel, she is out of a two-race winner in Misspro O’Reilly but her grand dam Prodigal Lass is a sister to nine-race winner Critic. It is also the family of Easter Handicap winner Prince Kaapstad and champion galloper and now sire Ocean Park.

Latta says the footing at Otaki yesterday suited the mare perfectly, with just the sting out of it - even though the meeting was called off after her race because horses had slipped near the 900 metre mark.

She had not been suited by her two trials this time in, both run on very wet tracks, but had obviously improved with them.

Lincoln Melody was shunned in the betting, going out eighth favourite in the field of 10, and paid $19.90 on the tote.