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In pouring rain, Lincoln’s Girl gets over the top of her rivals at Harrington in 1:54.3.

Lincoln’s Girl white hot on the tote and very brave in first-up win in United States

Former Lincoln Farms’ mare Lincoln’s Girl has opened her American career on a high, scoring a brave win at Harrington in Delaware.

The Sir Lincoln four-year-old, who was sold from Queensland trainer Al Barnes’ stable in August after five wins at Albion Park this year, started a white hot $1.20 favourite in the US$12,500 mile and got home in a close three-way finish by a neck.

Lincoln’s Girl started from gate six, in driving rain, and settled fifth in a strung-out field, driver Montrell Teague sitting quietly on a fast first half of 55.3.

Teague started a three-wide run from the 600 metres which she sustained right to the wire, clocking 1:54.6.

Lincoln’s Girl, now trained by Josh Green, took a mark of 1:53.3 in Brisbane. She is out of the Falcon Seelster mare Tania Tandias, making her a half sister to Lincoln Farms’ smart three-year-old Tommy Lincoln.

Meanwhile on Saturday night, Vasari, another former Lincoln Farms pacer who won first-up earlier in the month, and had run second and fourth in two further open miles, ran fourth at Saratoga behind the former Kiwi Crocket’s Cullen, pacing 1:52.3.

Race Images - Gallops

Sir Lincoln Top 10

Did you know…

1. CUP DAY BIRTH: It was preordained Sir Lincoln would be a headliner when he was born just hours before the 2006 New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington. Three years later to the day, and almost the hour, he annihilated his rivals on the same course in the Sires’ Stakes Final.

2. AGE NO BARRIER: In his second last race start, at the age of six, Sir Lincoln paced the fastest 1700 metres in New Zealand history, 2:00.5, beating Gold Ace and clocking a mile rate of 1:54 at Alexandra Park. Champion pacer Elsu held the previous record at 2:01.1.

3. ON THREE LEGS: Sir Lincoln ran his last race virtually on three legs, when second to Terror To Love in an Interdominion heat at Auckland. He had to be pulled out of the Melbourne series, and retired, when found to have a subluxated pastern joint - basically his ankle joint was dislocated.

4. SWIFT GOLDEN MILE: Sir Lincoln’s fastest mile was recorded in the 2012 Group III Golden Mile at Menangle in Sydney when he was nosed out by Captain Joy in 1:51.4. He was known by the name Lincoln Royal in Australia.

5. AT THE REINS: One for the trivia fans - how many drivers did Sir Lincoln have in his 57-start career? Maurice McKendry was Linc’s pilot throughout his career but he was MIA four times when the horse was handled by James Stormont, Ken Barron and Blake Fitzpatrick (twice).

6. WINNERS KEEP COMING: In only his third season with runners on the track, Sir Lincoln has already sired the winners of 30 races despite having limited numbers to represent him. Last season in New Zealand alone he had 16 winners from only 39 starters and this term he already has six winners from just 18 starters.

7. SOMEBEACH SOME RAP: Breeding buffs made a beeline for Sir Lincoln after superstar racehorse and stallion Somebeachsomewhere had to be put down with cancer. Sir Lincoln is 7/8th bred on the same cross as Somebeachsomewhere - by Mach Three out of a Beach Towel mare who is in turn out of a Cam Fella mare.

8. DISCOUNT FOR LOYALTY: Broodmare owners are returning to Sir Lincoln in droves. Taken by the attractive foals he is leaving, many book straight back to the Alabar-based sire and take advantage of Lincoln Farms’ loyalty scheme which cuts his service fee in half to just $1250 plus GST.

9. TIME BEST FRIEND: Sir Lincoln’s progeny are mirroring the sire’s own start on the racetrack, benefitting from a little time to mature. The best the horse himself could manage as a two-year-old was one third from four starts but he was a different animal at three, winning four of his first five starts.

10. MEGASTAR’S FREAK DEATH: A freak accident claimed the life of valuable broodmare Lincoln’s Megastar, a full sister to Sir Lincoln. The mare, who opened her career with a nine and a half length walloping at Auckland, was retired after six wins, but left only one foal. She was killed when crushed by a fallen tree in a violent storm. Woodlands Stud has another full sister in two-year-old Moonlighting who is in training with Ray Green.