
Northview Hustler is lethal in front as he showed when winning at Albion Park two starts back. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
Speed wobbles behind him, Hustler can lead and be very hard to beat on Saturday night
Northview Hustler might have got the speed wobbles and galloped last start but trainer Al Barnes is confident he can go close to winning at Albion Park on Saturday night.
The Hustler draws six on the front line, the same handicap that saw him taken back off the gate last start, but Barnes says with nothing like the same speed drawn inside him this time the plan will be to blast the gate and lead.
“He should cross them without using too much petrol and find the fence first and from there he’ll be very hard to beat.
“I can’t see anything having the speed to hold him out. The one (Chevron’s Reward) should take a sit on us.”
Barnes says the Hustler is “good as gold and ready to go” after being treated for sore feet and having his troublesome fetlock injected since his last race.
“He just got the speed wobbles last time and whacked himself on the home turn, galloping just when Hayden thought he was going to run straight past them.
“On Saturday he should be leading and going very close to winning though Secretagent Tycoon will be hard to beat.”
Hayden Barnes brings back Larry Lincoln after scoring in a 1:54.6 mile rate last month. PHOTO: Dan Costello.Larry’s big test
Barnes is also looking forward to Larry Lincoln’s first test against stronger company in the third race and he is confident he can make the step up.
“It’s a much harder field than he’s beaten in his last two starts but I’ve always said that this class will suit him. The time they run won’t matter.”
Under the preferential barrier draw Larry Lincoln, as the lowest rating horse, gets the pole, from where Barnes says he should be in front or behind the leader.
“I don’t think the two (Feelingforarainbow) will hold him out and the three (Maywyns Courage) should take a sit.
“We’ve just got to play our cards right and hand up to the right horse or we’ll end up three fence. We might even lead, we’ll have to see.”
Larry Lincoln, who has won his last two starts and has been the subject of overseas interest this week, will need to be right on his A game as while he has scored in mile rates of 1:54.6 and 1:54.7 for 1660 metres, his rivals have been pacing much faster.
When Maywyns Courage scored two starts back he ran a mile rate of 1:52.1 and the newcomer to Queensland Our Wall Street Wolf clocked 1:50.6 in winning a mile at Menangle in January before pulling up slightly lame in the near hind leg at his last start.
Northview Hustler races at 8.40pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
Larry Lincoln races at 9.42pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
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Ray gives reformed Rascal his ‘most likely to succeed’ report from the pole on Friday night
Ray doesn’t pull any punches about Sugar Ray but punters weigh in nonetheless
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them

Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Tyson
5.31pm
“He’s not the best steering horse in the world. He’ll win races but he’s a funny horse and you can never be sure which Tyson will turn up.”
Race 3: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.29pm
“Drawn the outside of the second line he was never going to be in the hunt last time but Maurice said he paced much better. We’re trying him in spreaders and from one on the second row he should get a better trip. It all depends on which one turns up. We know he’s capable of winning if he comes with his A game.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.30pm
“I’ve changed his bit to try to slow him down. He’s been pulling too hard. He’s an honest horse who you can never count out.”
Race 5: Kevin Kline
7.30pm
“I’m always pleased with Kevin - he never runs a bad race. He gave the favourite (Mantra Blue) a bit of a fright last week and in another 20 metres I think he would have got her. It’s only 1700 metres this time and he looks a good chance. The five draw shouldn’t bother him as he can do a bit of work.”
Race 7: The Rascal
8.22pm
“I thought he was pretty good last week despite not handling the corners. I’ve put spreaders on him this time, and he’s trained well in them, so it should give him every opportunity. I rate him a winning chance.”