Ray reaches for the shades to stop Leo from switching off at Auckland on Friday night
By Barry Lichter • 6 December 2023
Trainer Ray Green is hoping the addition of blinds will help keep Leo Lincoln’s mind on the job at Auckland on Friday night.
The Art Major two-year-old appeared to throw away a win last week when, just 50 metres from home he eased off the pedal, allowing two runners to swamp him by half a head and half a neck.
When driver Andre Poutama swept up four wide turning for home and pounced on the leaders, Leo Lincoln looked to be in for his second win as a maiden - a rare luxury because his dead-heat win at Cambridge in August meant he didn’t go up in grade.
Invisible and Delightful Reality swamp Leo Lincoln on the line.It was a good effort considering from five on the gate, he was trapped out three wide in no man’s land round the first turn.
Leo starts from the same position on the arm on Friday night but is drawn inside the likely favourite, The Telfer-trained Slots.
“Hopefully he can get in sooner this week and he should go better,” Green said. “They went 2:41.7 last time too and it was only his second run for a while so he probably needed it.”
Green’s own horse My Copy gets his chance at odds when he drops significantly in grade in the third race.
Don’t be fooled by his last-start eighth in a rating 47 to 53 race - it was much better than it would appear on paper.
Forced to drop back to the rear from the outside gate, driver Maurice McKendry was still last turning for home but made good ground to finish only four lengths from Nelson’s Boy. Only one horse in the race bettered My Copy’s closing sectionals of 55.4 and 28.2.
On Friday night he runs in an average looking rating 41 to 46 race, his only handicap a niggly gate.
“Six is a tricky draw so he’ll need luck,” Green said. “But you can’t fault anything he’s done this time in and this field is a lot easier than last time.”
Green can’t see Onyx Shard matching her stablemate from the outside draw.
“She’s had no chance with the draws and trips she’s been getting. From the outside she’s going to struggle to get a decent run again but hopefully she’ll finish on well.”
Simply Sam and Lincoln River both look chances in the sixth race, Green favouring Sam because of his better turn of foot.
“River lacks a bit of high speed but makes up for it by being very rugged and he’s drawn to get a good trip.
“He’s such a little pro I think he’ll manage the step up in class.”
Andre Poutama is stuck in the trail behind eventual winner Miki Shan and has to yank him sideways to try to find a gap.Simply Sam had a couple of excuses for finishing only sixth last week.
Bottled up three back on the pegs, Poutama was frustrated for a pegs run behind eventual winner Miki Shan and was only two lengths away at the line.
“I took a blood off him also which showed he was slightly tied up which explains his lack of enthusiasm at the finish.
“I’m hoping he’s better this week and, with his speed, if he’s sitting on River’s back you’d expect him to roll over the top of him.”
More news in Harness
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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.”
