Debbie Green greets Debbie Lincoln and Maurice McKendry after their win.
Smiles all round as Debbie scores with her cheapie namesake and banks 2yo bonus
By Barry Lichter • 7 December 2024
She paid a big price as the rank outsider on Friday night but she came with about as small a price tag as you can get.
And the $19.60 Auckland winner couldn’t have had a more appropriate name than Debbie Lincoln, after Debbie Green who bought the filly for just $3500 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2022 weanling sale.
Debbie Green … bought the filly for $3500.Green, whose husband Ray trains the filly, bought five weanlings for $19,500 at the sale, taking Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street in as partners.
But she had no idea that when John Street struggled to come up with a name for the Lather Up filly, he settled on Debbie Lincoln, as a mark of respect for her uncanny ability to select bargain bin winners, like champion Copy That and million dollar winner Hard Copy.
“I knew nothing about it,” Green said after Debbie Lincoln powered past hot favourite Princess Gracy to win at just her fifth start.
“I bought three Lather Up fillies at that sale (the other pair costing $4000 each). Price is my controlling factor and we try to buy ones by new stallions because they’re cheaper.”
“She was a nice type and that was more important than her pedigree.”
John Street … it makes sense to buy cheap weanlings and raise them at Lincoln Farms.Street even took a half share in a $2000 Speeding Spur colt (Lincoln’s Jade) with Green. Despite having won the 2008 Interdominion Grand Final with Galleons Sunset, he had sworn off racing any more trotters because of the time and frustrations involved.
In his acceptance speech, Street outlined how in latter years he had been swayed into buying cheap, young horses and raising them at Lincoln Farms, instead of shooting for the expensive top lots at the yearling sales.
At last year’s weanling sale, Lincoln Farms secured six weanlings for $101,000.
“We have 19 rising two-year-olds coming through in the next few months and Zac Butcher tells me we’ve got a few champions there so hopefully he’s right.”
Of the three Lather Up fillies, Ray Green said another, Lincoln’s Faith was in training, while the third, Intimidator, had been lost with a broken leg.
“But we have a Lather Up colt (Johnny Lincoln) who goes really nicely too.”
Debbie Lincoln sweeps past Princess Gracy near the finish.Green said Debbie Lincoln, who is the third winner for Woodlands Stud’s new sire, was a good, little pacer with some nice speed but was still quite green.
That partly explained why the filly had beaten only one home in her previous start, driver Maurice McKendry saying she had been very green in her run off the gate.
“But she seems to be putting it together,” McKendry said.
“She travelled really well tonight and I don’t think it mattered that the favourite gave her the one-one when she came round, she was sitting happily parked out before that.”
Debbie Lincoln, who swept past Princess Gracy at the 100, scored by three-quarters of a length, clocking a mile rate of 1:56.2 for the mobile 1700 metres.
She banked the $9350 winner’s purse plus a $12,000 Entain two-year-old bonus, $8000 going to Green and the Streets and $4000 to her breeder, Woodlands Stud.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Debbie Lincoln
5.26pm
“She had to sit parked most of the way last time but still went well, and that’s what she does. She’s proven to be a very promising filly and, while it’s hard these days to win without a good trip, it’s an even field and she’s a good chance again.”
Race 2: Lincoln Lou
5.55pm
“He probably cost himself a win last week by going roughly, but he can do that. If he’d got Frisco Bay’s trip he would have won with his closing quarters of 56 and 27 the fastest in the race. He’s just got to do things right to be the one to beat, even from the bad draw, as it’s an easier field.”
Race 5: Frisco Bay
7.30pm
“He’s up in grade a bit but I don’t think there’s anything between them. He’s just got to get the right run and, with his speed, he’ll be right in it.”
Race 6: Kevin Kline
7.59pm
“He’s no superstar but he’s very honest and he’s always a place chance as he’s a tough bugger, he sat parked last week.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.59pm
“With a similar run to last week, he’d be right in it. He clocked 55.8 and 27.7, doing his best work at the finish. He hasn’t gone a bad race since he’s come back.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.59pm
“I wasn’t expecting him to do anything on debut as he’s a green, young horse. But he went very well so he’s obviously lifted his game for the occasion. And he’s trained on even better so the experience has enhanced him. From the inside he has to be a good chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.59pm
“She’s definitely a better animal left-handed but she was passable right-handed and should go better this time. She’s got some speed.”
Race 8: Lincoln Downs
8.59pm
“She’s a nice filly but is behind the others. I don’t expect her to beat anything but she needs the experience.”
Race 8: Lincoln Linda
8.59pm
“There won’t be any shadows for her to jump this time so she has to be a serious chance. She’d been dominant at the workouts and trials before her debut but didn’t get the chance to show her true worth.”
Race 8: Lincoln Lover
8.59pm
“Fergie was quite impressed with him on debut and requested the drive again. He finished on strongly up the lane and should go well again. He just needs some luck from the outside of the gate.”
Mark Dux’s comments
Saturday night at Albion Park
Race 3: Argyle
9.04pm NZ time
“I thought his last two starts have been terrific. There’s no doubt this race is tougher, and he has trickier draw, but I was talking to Angus last night and he was quite upbeat about his chances. He said the horse gave him a good feel when he sat parked two starts back and he picked him too (in the draft). But it won’t be easy. There could be a bit of pressure early. I think he’ll come out and see what unfolds and, if there is too much pressure, he’ll drive him quietly.”
Ray’s comments
Sunday at Manawatu
Race 1: Onyx Shard
5.29pm
“You can put a line through her last run at Cambridge when she pulled up showing signs of a respiratory infection. She had a couple of weeks off after that and, while she hasn’t trialled since, she’s been training down nicely. She’s a nice filly and from the good draw should really win.”
Race 3: Lincoln La Moose
6.19pm
“He wasn’t far away in the amateur race at Auckland last time despite jumping a shadow early and galloping. This is a decent drop in class for him and he should be very competitive.
