Omicron danger keeps the Streets away but champagne still flows for Lincoln King

The looming threat of Omicron prevented John and Lynne Street from being at Trentham to see Lincoln King’s game win in today’s $300,000 Wellington Cup - but he still enjoyed the rare thrill of winning the iconic race.

While Street poured himself a post-race scotch in his Auckland home, all his partners in the seven-year-old stayer (barring Peter Gillespie) were in a corporate box on course - business manager Ian Middleton, Wellfield Lodge’s Bill Gleeson and trainer Stephen Marsh - drinking champagne out of the gold cup which was first raced for in 1874.

“We were booked to go then Omicron started,” Street said. “We’ve been double vaccinated and boosted but decided not to take the risk of going down and being cooped up in a room with 30 other people.

“I’m 77 and diabetic and if I get Covid I could die. I’ve already had one virus this year which wasn’t pleasant and I don’t need another.”

Cup thrills … from left, Bill Gleeson, Stephen Marsh, Ian Middleton and Peter Didham.Covid protocols also prevented owners from going into the birdcage to greet their horses, or lead them in, so the Streets opted to stay home, despite knowing they were in with a live chance.

“We’re rapt to win the Wellington Cup - you don’t do that every day.”

While the Streets have won a Karaka Million with Fort Lincoln, a Group I Zabeel Classic with the ill-fated Mikki Street and a City Of Auckland Cup with Platinum Invador, one of the traditional big cups had eluded them.

“I’ve just been on the phone thanking Stephen for persevering with the horse.”

While Lincoln King had not won a race in 16 starts since October, 2020, the slow maturing horse had always hinted he had the staying ability to win a good race.

“I was a bit worried when I saw him drifting before the turn but I knew that he’d get home when he saw daylight. I’ve always thought he needed a strong rider to get into him and Craig Grylls did a great job.”

Best win

Middleton rated Lincoln King’s win as his best as an owner.

“I first raced a horse with some school mates when I was 16 and you own horses to try to win major cups.

“Bill’s excited too even though he’s won Group I races in Australia and this is only a Group III race.”

It was the race’s history that captured the imagination, the list of winners a Who’s Who of New Zealand racing including headliners like Ed (1995, ’97), Castletown (1991, ’92, ’94), Kiwi (1983), Good Lord (1977, ’78), Battle Heights (1974), Il Tempo (1970), Eiffel Tower (1965) and Great Sensation (1961, ’62, ’63).

“We couldn’t get into the birdcage but they sent the cup upstairs and we’ll be drinking champagne out of it tonight.”

Craig Grylls salutes on returning to scale. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.Middleton said while the laid back Lincoln King had been disappointing at times, mostly when he was allowed to get too far back, the partners always knew the big horse would take time.

Bred by Wellfield Lodge, he was the only one of a package of five horses who wasn’t sent to Singapore because they knew he’d never race before he was four and there were precious few staying races in Singapore anyway.

Born in 2014 to Melbourne Cup winner Shocking and seven-race winning stayer Shi Kin Fly, he was reared and educated by Wellfield’s Peter Didham. And he didn’t race until February, 2019 when he was sent north to Marsh.

“At one stage we were thinking of sending him to Australia,” Middleton said. “But Stephen has done a great job with him.”

Bankroll doubled

Lincoln King more than doubled his bankroll in his 31st start today, the $172,500 winner’s purse boosting his career tally to $331,475 from six wins and six placings.

And Marsh, who delighted in his feat of also training the runner-up Starrybeel, believes Lincoln King’s winning hasn’t stopped yet.

“He absolutely deserved to win a race like that, he was dominant at the line, and hopefully he’ll run in the Auckland Cup now.

“I thought going out of the straight the first time they were both in beautiful positions- where we wanted them.”

Lincoln King pips unlucky stablemate Starrybeel by a neck. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.The picture changed before the home turn, however, when Lincoln King had been shuffled back, and Starrybeel was having traffic trouble.

Marsh had visions of Lincoln King’s unlucky fourth in the last New Zealand Cup, when things never went his way, but when Grylls got him into the clear he really rallied, adding weight to Middleton’s claim that the jockey was one the country’s best after years of tough competition in Singapore.

At the line Lincoln King had a neck on the late weaving Starrybeel, the 3200 metres cut out in 3:23.1.

“Both horses raced out of their skins,” Marsh said. “And it was a great team effort. Our team in the grandstand got a huge buzz.

“It’s an iconic race and it was just great to have two runners - you hope one of them can win but to quinella it is next level.

“And I own a little share in both horses, which helps.”

Lincoln Farms’ second runner, outsider Platinum Spirit, had a torrid trip three wide throughout, improved to third 1100 metres out before disputing the pace at the 800.

He did well to stick on for ninth, only 3.9 lengths from the winner, weakening only in the last 250 metres.

Street revealed his partner in the horse Neville McAlister now plotted to win some Australian cash, and the horse would be flown to Melbourne to tackle rich mid-week events.