Ray excited about Lou and Sugar Ray who are shaping up to be big race contenders

Trainer Ray Green admits to being quite excited about the immediate futures of Lincoln Lou and Sugar Ray Lincoln who give Lincoln Farms a strong hand in the two-year-old race at Auckland on Friday night.

Despite coming up against the might of Stonewall Stud, which lines up $270,000 colt Debrief, $115,000 filly Always B Misty and $95,000 gelding Turn O The Tide, and having the three worst draws, Green believes his pair will be hard to beat.

With a load of experience over the Steve and Amanda Telfer-trained trio, Sugar Ray Lincoln ($60,000) and Lincoln Lou ($40,000) have already shown they have the speed to be contenders for the big races to come, he says.

“They’re right up with the best ones, and are only going to get better.

“There’s not a lot between my two but, on Friday, I think Lincoln Lou might have the wood on Sugar Ray. He has better manners and he’s probably got a bit more speed too.

“Lincoln Lou is a very nice colt. He’s a lot stronger this time in and he could develop into a serious horse.

“If he repeats his last run, he’ll be hard to beat.”

Lincoln Lou is still 10 lengths off the pack approaching the 800 metres at his last start.Green still can’t get over what an enormous effort Lincoln Lou turned in at Auckland on June 13.

Checked into a gallop by Sugar Ray Lincoln on the first turn, the Sweet Lou colt settled 50 metres behind the leader and was still detached from the pack by 10 lengths going into the last 800 metres.

From there he was officially clocked to run home in 55.3, a full second and half faster than Stonewall’s impressive winner Bar Louie.

Lincoln Lou only managed to catch the back of the field at the top of the lane and, blocked for a run, Monica Ranger had to switch him wider out from where he powered home for third, only four lengths from the winner, pacing his last 400 in 27.3, again the fastest in the race.

Lincoln Lou’s time for the mile of 1:56.1 was an extraordinary effort given the circumstances.

Students of the trials might mark down Lincoln Lou for a seemingly poor run at last Thursday’s Pukekohe workouts when he galloped briefly turning for home and finished five lengths from the winner Semba.

Green had no explanation for the error but said it was completely out of character for the colt and should have no bearing on Friday’s performance.

Sugar Ray Lincoln showed his real ability when easily downing Shake A Leg last start. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Sugar Ray Lincoln’s sectionals in his last-start win on June 27, over 2200 metres, were also clearly better than his rivals, despite being three wide for much of the last lap and four wide turning for home.

Copy That’s little brother recorded 56.4 for his last 800 and 27.9 for the last quarter, credited with an impressive last mile in 1:59.2.

“He’s a very good colt and did it comfortably.

“They’re the ones to beat for sure. We’ve got a good chance of winning.”

Tyson won’t be disgraced

Green also lines up the comparatively inexperienced Tyson and says, while he likes the horse and doesn’t think he’ll be disgraced, his other pair are more seasoned.

Tyson attracted an avalanche of support on debut at Cambridge last week, starting second favourite, but was never out of trouble from the second row and beat only four home.

“You can forget about that run, it was a non-event for him the way the race panned out.

“He got way too far back and would need to have clocked ridiculous times to get into it, but he still got home well. Running 2:42.2 wasn’t a bad time first-up.

“It’s impossible to know where he’ll end up taking us but he has speed and feels like a nice horse. I’ve got Tony Herlihy driving him on Friday but I wouldn’t expect him to round the others up.”

How the babies shape up on Friday night.

Lincoln La Moose … will need the run on Friday.Talented three-year-old Lincoln La Moose makes a reappearance on Friday in the fourth race but, from the outside of the gate, Green isn’t tipping any fireworks.

“You won’t see the best of him on Friday. He’ll definitely need the run.”

Lincoln La Moose, who hasn’t raced since April 26, showed his speed at the workouts last Thursday to lead, but was run over in the closing stages by Semba, the closing sectionals 58 and 27.5.

“He was very good (winning) on debut but was wiped out in his next start (pulling up with abrasions to his pastern and hock).

“He’s on the way back up but will benefit from Friday’s run.”

It’s hard to make a winning case for Lincoln Farms’ three remaining runners.

Opening race rep Obadiah Dragon gets the pole courtesy of being easily the lowest rated runner in the field.

While it’s hard to get enthused about his 535343 formline, Obadiah Dragon was a tad unlucky last start in arguably his best performance, when powering home in cramped quarters between Blazing Louie and Benjamin Button.

Obadiah Dragon would not have overhauled the other pair but he still clocked a slick 2:41.1 for the 2200 metres.

“He’s racing really well. He just doesn’t need any bad luck.”

My Copy is another whose recent form is hard to fault but it’s hard to see him turning the tables on Coastal Babe and Artisan who beat him home last start.

“He’s no champion but he’s very honest and is always capable of finishing in the money. He only needs a fair crack at them.”

Commander Lincoln also falls into the honest category - “he’s as honest as they come, he’d die for you,” Green said. “He lacks a yard of sharp speed to be a serious horse, but he has a draw upgrade and drops in class (to amateur grade) in the last race.

“He’s feeling good. Things just have to pan out for him.”