Trojan Banner … his colty behaviour has cost him a start in the Redcliffe Derby. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.
Playful Trojan in the dog box after hurting himself - Al pulls him out of Redcliffe
By Barry Lichter • 19 June 2019
Trojan Banner is out of Saturday night’s A$21,000 Redcliffe Derby after hurting himself in his box.
But the good news is the colt’s injuries are only superficial and trainer Al Barnes expects he will be over the hiccup inside a week so it won’t prevent him from peaking for his two big targets.
Trojan Banner, unbeaten in six starts in Queensland, was to have trialled at Albion Park yesterday but Barnes found he had played up during the night.
Al Barnes has big boxes with a window as seen in this shot with Northview Hustler.Trojan Banner, whose colty behaviour has concerned Barnes in recent weeks, appeared to have reared up shoulder high and struck out, getting a leg over the timber of a high window at the back of his box.
“He took a bit of skin off and there’s a lot of swelling and bruising. I gave him some bute last night to help him as he’s pretty stiff and sore.
“He’s got a bit of a bump on his leg but it’s nothing serious and this will only set us back a few days.’’
Barnes says while his boxes are roomy and secure he will now ensure that doors attached to the windows are closed at night to prevent a repetition of the incident.
While frustrating, Barnes says the Redcliffe Derby wasn’t originally on Trojan Banner’s programme as he had doubts about how he would handle the tight circuit.
And that’s why he had planned to trial the horse yesterday to make sure he would be a least 90% right for the race.
“We would have been vulnerable at Redcliffe anyway as his first big race is not until July 13 - this might have even done us a favour.’’
Trojan Banner’s two main assignments are the Group III A$31,400 South East Derby (2138m) at Albion Park on July 13 and the Group I A$100,660 Queensland Derby (2680m) on July 20.
Trojan Banner’s defection sees Lincoln Farms’ other Redcliffe Derby runner Make Way move in to five on the outside of the front row.
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
