Lincoln Farms bosses giving explosive Lincoln Hills all the time he needs

Time has been Lincoln Hills’ friend and his patient owners are prepared to give him even more of it.

Despite the decisiveness of his win at Awapuni on Saturday, Lincoln Farms principals John and Lynne Street and Ian Middleton are quite content to give the rising five-year-old just one more race before again tipping him out into the spelling paddock.

To some that might seem a strange call after watching Lincoln Hills held up in heavy traffic early in the run home then explode to the lead to score untested by two and a half lengths.

But now that the owners and trainer Lisa Latta have worked out that the horse needs, and how he best performs, they’re not about to undo all the hard work with the All Too Hard gelding.

“A lot of the All Too Hards seem to be finicky horses - they’re not robust horses you can run all the time,’’ says Middleton. “You’ve got to space their starts or they don’t want to know.’’

While Lincoln Hills won on debut as a two-year-old in March, 2017, he had two more preparations and nine starts without any success.

It’s only been this season, with Latta giving the horse a lot of time in between runs, that he has shown his real ability.

“He’s also taken a lot of time to fill out his frame,’’ says Middleton.

Middleton, like Latta, was worried Lincoln Hills would be a victim of the track downgrade to a heavy 10 on Saturday. When Latta labelled the horse one of her bets of the day, it was in the hope conditions would improve, not deteriorate.

“But the horses seemed to get a reasonable go in it. It wasn’t like they were all going out wide.’’

And while rider Jonathan Riddell reported Lincoln Hills took a little time to get balanced rounding the final corner, he was very impressed by what he felt afterwards.

Lincoln Hills strides to the line well clear of his rivals at Awapuni on Saturday. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.Snookered behind horses, Riddell was badly held up and had to force his way out on Lincoln Hills to get clear air, an ability which Middleton says sets him apart from many of his peers.

“Jonathan’s such a tough rider. Lesser riders hum and hah about whether to take gaps but he makes them.

“He was really taken by the horse on Saturday. He said when he finally did get clear he showed a really good turn of foot.

“But he’s not a mudder by any means. He’s shown he’s better with the cut just out of the track.’’

Lincoln Hills would not be suited by the bottomless, boggy tracks Trentham presents in winter, he says, so won’t be heading to Wellington.

“Lisa will just wait and pick out one more race where we’re hopefully going to get the right conditions.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet - there’s plenty of improvement in him.

“He’s needed time and a bit more time won’t hurt him.’’

Middleton and Street bought the horse from the Magic Millions yearling sale on the Gold Coast in 2016, paying Baramul Stud A$55,000.

He has the pedigree to be a good winner, being out of the unraced More Than Ready mare Hickory Hills whose grand dam Skating topped the Australasian Three-year-old classification in 1992-93.

Winner of seven races and $1.18 million, her best scalps were the Group I Doncaster Handicap and Winfield Classic.