Simply Sam downs Villacci, outer, and Dangerzone at Shepparton on Friday night.
Ray: Simply Sam in the zone and ready to take on Australia’s best three-year-olds
By Barry Lichter • 17 September 2022
Simply Sam might have won by only a head at Shepparton on Friday night but trainer Ray Green says he’s in the zone for his first big test next week.
And only after Friday night’s A$25,000 Withers Classic (mobile 2180m) at Kilmore will he know how the horse stacks up against his three-year-old opposition.
“Next week he’ll have to front up to all the good ones so it will be a bit of a derby dress rehearsal for him.
“He won’t improve unless he races equal or better opposition and I think he will, he’s right in the zone.”
Green says Simply Sam’s narrow winning margin at Shepparton was no knock on his ability.
“He won well, even though by only a head. He does only what he has to - his last three wins have been by a head, half a neck and a neck, that’s the sort of horse he is.
“The leader and parked horse were trying to walk and outsprint everyone else last night. They only crawled in the middle stages, with a second quarter of 32.1, and I thought he got home really well.”
The closing sectionals of 55.8 and 27 set up an overall mile rate of 1:56.4 for the 1690 metres, the second fastest on the night.
It was Simply Sam’s sixth win from just 13 starts for Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, Kim Miller, Robert and Donna Best, Priscilla Edmunds, the Red And Blue Syndicate and the Green Machine Racing Syndicate.
Green says one more belt tightener and Simply Sam will be ready for the A$24,000 Victoria Derby heats (2760 metres) on October 1 before hopefully qualifying for the A$200,000 Final a week later.
“It’s all about timing and the horse seems to be coming right at the right time.”
* Green has yet to hear if stewards have finalised their investigations into the Holloway Classic eight days ago when Simply Sam was hemmed in for the entire race and the tactics of both his driver Nathan Jack and that of a rival, Allan McDonough, were questioned.
Stewards also opened an inquiry into an altercation that took place after the race between Green’s host Anton Golino, McDonough and Clayton Tonkin, who was in charge of both McDonough’s horse Idealrockidealroll and the winner Captain Ravishing.
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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.”
