Our top gallops and harness trainers reveal their Christmas-New Year stars
By Barry Lichter • 24 December 2020
LIsa Latta … racking up the winners.In-form gallops trainer Lisa Latta has singled out Charms Star as her horse to follow in the New Year.
And Lincoln Farms’ harness trainer Ray Green says you can’t go wrong staying onside with American Dealer.
Latta, who has been notching up the wins with regularity in recent weeks, will start Charms Star next at Hastings on New Year’s Day.
And what makes her such an attractive proposition is she drops back to a maiden race after finishing a solid fifth last time in a strong Eulogy Stakes, a Group III race for fillies at Awapuni.
That was only the three-year-old’s third start - she had few favours on debut then flew home late for second at her next outing.
The Per Incanto filly holds nominations for the Levin Stakes at Trentham on January 16 and New Zealand Oaks on March 20.
Ray Green … “American Dealer never lets us down.”American Dealer has been a real find in the Lincoln Farms’ battalion at Pukekohe, his form line this season an impressive 31214521611 earning him $118,125.
He trounced his rivals last start in the Alabar Classic, mounting a superlative run from the back to win, going away.
“He never lets us down,” says Green. “And he’s racing the same horses again in the Harness Million at Auckland on New Year’s Eve.
“Barring an atrocious draw, he’s a serious chance of beating them again.”
Strangely, the little bloke continues to be shunned by punters. He’s won three of his last four starts paying $5, $3.60 and $3.90.
Lincoln Farms wishes all its followers a happy and safe Christmas and good punting over the holidays.
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Lisa’s comments
Friday at Waverley
Race 5: Lincoln Towers
2.58pm
Update: Scratched
“I am really happy with him at the moment, his work has been superb. We ended up injecting his knees and he worked great on the course proper on Tuesday morning. He should be very competitive in a field like this but my biggest concern is how much rain is in the forecast. I would be reluctant to start him if the track got to be really wet as we know he has never gone very well on heavy tracks.”