Hayden Barnes and Larry Lincoln (1) get up on the post to nail brother Brendan on the favourite Royal Aurora. Master Catch is third.
Proud dad Al watches as his sons Hayden and Brendan fight it out, Larry taking line honours
By Barry Lichter • 27 February 2021
“I really like this horse. I wish there were another half dozen like him I could get from New Zealand.”
Trainer Al Barnes wasn’t holding back on the superlatives after Larry Lincoln won his seventh race from only 17 starts in Brisbane for Lincoln Farms tonight.
“He’s the perfect little racehorse. He’s got that high speed.”
Larry Lincoln provided Barnes with the perfect climax to a terrific month at Albion Park which has seen Larry win twice and Lincoln Farms stablemates Northview Hustler and Bondi Shake also salute the judge for a monthly haul of $33,000.
And he admitted to a sense of pride watching one son Hadyen get Larry up in a driving finish to nose out his other son Brendan on the favourite Royal Aurora.
Larry Lincoln clocked a mile rate of 1:54.7 for the 1660 metres, sprinting home in 55.5 and 27.2, but Barnes says he can hardly wait for the horse to progress even further up the grades.
“He’s won two metro races now but when he gets into free-for-alls and they go a bit quicker, running 1:53 and 1:52, he’ll be even better. We’ll be able to put him on the fence and he’ll come from off the speed and earn a cheque every week.”
The official margin was a head in favour of Larry Lincoln.The little prizefighter who has now earned A$41,782 since arriving in Queensland, sat in the trail the entire way, a plan Barnes hatched to take out of play what he considered his main danger, the Grant Dixon-trained Master Catch.
“The horse who could beat us was the one behind us in the running and, when we took a sit instead of leading, it put him three deep and out of the race. I love it when a plan comes off like that.”
Barnes said Larry Lincoln was really feeling good, even after the race when he was “prancing and carrying on” while being walked.
While Barnes has expressed interest in buying the horse from Lincoln Farms, whose business plan favours selling all the stock it sends to Queensland, his hopes of putting together a syndicate had come to nothing so far despite plenty of interest.
“I’d love to buy him. He’s so easy to do anything with and he’s improving all the time.”
The Sweet Lou - Yolo gelding, who won by a head, paid $2.90 on the tote, drifting out to start only second favourite despite his super impressive win a week earlier.
More news in Harness
Brace for Ray and Lincoln Farms at Cambridge but Colonel’s placing just as thrilling
Ray: Preferential draw for top fillies makes it tough for everyone else in Golden Gait series
Patient owners hoping high-priced Colonel can salute at Cambridge on Thursday night
Friday’s Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup all about the standing start manners of Aussie raider
Our runners this week
Tuesday at Cambridge
Colonel Lincoln, Onyx Shard, Commander Lincoln, Debbie Lincoln, Kevin Kline, Lincoln La Moose, The Big Lebowski.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 2: Commander Lincoln
5.51pm
“Back to Cambridge and the easier amateur ranks he can get some of it. He’s an honest little horse who pays his way.”
Race 4: Onyx Shard
6.49pm
“She’s a nice filly who is training really well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her in the money in spite of the outside draw. She’d be one of the best in that field and is definitely an each-way chance.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.39pm
“He hasn’t raced for nearly 21 months but his training has been good and he should go well first-up. He’s a beautiful, big horse who probably lacks a yard of speed to be a real super horse but he’s got everything else. I expect him to go well against this lot.”
Race 7: Lincoln La Moose
8.04pm
“He’s training well and has surprised us before, like when he won his first start at Cambridge like a monster after breaking on the first turn. It’s always the way when they win their first start - it makes things hard for them after that - but he’s travelling well now and is capable of being in it.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.09pm
“He’ll be relying on a heap of good luck from the second row. His last run was a non-event. The poor little bugger couldn’t have done a better job of finding trouble. He’s trained on all right.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.09pm
“He’s training really well and he showed last time what a big motor he had, losing all that ground early and still getting up to win. He’s not famous for his gate speed but as long as he gets away safely then Maurice can put him in the race at the right time. There are a lot of horses in there that aren’t that safe who could stand on their ear. Navigating through them is always a worry. He’ll need some luck but he could give them a fright.”
Race 6: Frisco Bay
8.05pm
“He obviously can’t beat Duchess Megxit or Jeremiah but if he gets a good trip he’s a chance of getting some money. Things didn’t suit him last time - being out three wide then going to the front. He’s so hot, he over-races. He goes best if he’s allowed to slop out and find the back of something, when he generally relaxes. Even if he got back a bit, that would be all right, so long as he gets sucked along.”
