Otaki a conditioner for dour Kamanda Lincoln who’s better suited to the St Leger
By Barry Lichter • 19 February 2020
Trainer Lisa Latta has welcomed the rain which will see the jar out of the ground when Kamanda Lincoln resumes at Otaki on Saturday.
The six-year-old goes best on dead to slow tracks and with the track a slow 7 this morning and more rain forecast on Friday and Saturday, he should get his favourite conditions.
And that could help a freshened Kamanda Lincoln get closer to his rivals, even though he is expected to need the run this week.
Lisa Latta … Kamanda Lincoln was unlucky in the Wellington Cup.Latta eased right up on Kamanda Lincoln after his sterling sixth in the Wellington Cup a month ago, when he looked unlucky to be held up at a crucial stage.
“He should have run third or fourth,” says Latta. “But he kept coming. I thought it was one of his best runs this season. He just hasn’t got the sprint of those best stayers.”
Latta didn’t turn Kamanda Lincoln out into the paddock after Trentham - “I thought he was better off in his box out of the heat.
“He’s done a bit of swimming, which he enjoys, and while he hasn’t missed any work we’re using this race as a lead-in to the St Leger.”
The $50,000 NZ St Leger is run on March 14 at Trentham over 2600 metres, a trip that will suit him better than Saturday’s 2200 metres.
“From a good draw on Saturday he should be able to get a cosy run just in behind the pace but he’s more a dour stayer now - he’s a New Zealand Cup-type horse. He’ll come home and go straight into the paddock after Trentham so we can get him back in June and start our preparation for Christchurch.”
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Lisa’s comments
Friday at Awapuni
Race 8: Lincoln Towers
4.53pm
“He needs two more scratchings to make the field and, because it’s the first day back racing at Awapuni and they’re running only 12 horses, that looks doubtful. I decided to run him over 1400 metres as I think leaving him at 1200 wouldn’t be the right thing to do. He has continued to work well and had a really nice gallop on the course proper this week.”
Stephen’s comments
Saturday at Te Rapa
Race 7: Billy Lincoln
3.37pm
“He’s bounced out of his trial (third on the Cambridge synthetic) very well and it’s time to kick him off. I wouldn’t expect him to win at 1200 metres but it will bring him on nicely. Then we’ll step him up to a more suitable 1400 and second-up he can be very competitive. Rihaan Goyaram rides and claims 3kg down to 53.5kg.”