Stephen: I can’t fault Lincoln King in the Cup and, sssshh, I’ve told him he’s only seven!

He has the best jockey in the country doing the steering, he has a perfect barrier draw, he’s a proven two-miler and his lead-up run was eye-catching.

It’s little wonder Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh is keen on the chaces of Lincoln King in Saturday’s $500,000 Auckland Cup at Pukekohe.

Lincoln King ($11) is only the fifth favourite, and at the age of eight doesn’t have the record book on his side, but Marsh is adamant his 3200 metre record elevates him right into the reckoning to get some major money.

“There are some nice horses in the field like Aquacade, Ladies Man, Dionysus and the Aussie horse (Nerve Not Verve) but you never know if they’re going to get two miles until they run it.

“I’ve seen a lot of horses win 2400 metre races go up that extra 800 metres and that sees them out. “Aquacade might get two miles but you don’t know. On the other hand we are a strong, proven two-miler.”

With five starts over the extreme distance, Lincoln King is the most experienced in the field.

Lincoln King downs Starrybeel in the 2022 Wellington Cup. PHOTO: Peter Rubery/Race Images.He won the 2022 Wellington Cup, beating stablemate Starrybeel, finished second, pipped half a head, in the 2020 New Zealand Cup and fourth in the 2021 New Zealand Cup, making up a big stretch of ground from the rear on a wet track.

His only two failures were in the Auckland Cup but in neither attempt did he get a fair crack of the whip.

In 2021, he ran ninth after getting a couple of checks and ending up near last on the turn, not helping his cause by never really travelling for rider Danielle Johnson.

Last year he feared even worse in 10th, but with plenty of excuses, jockey Craig Grylls pushed down onto the rail, the one place Marsh wanted to avoid, and copping a heavy check 900 metres out.

Marsh likes the fact there’s not a full field on Saturday with just 14 starters, and that the cup is being run at Pukekohe, rather than Ellerslie.

“Pukekohe is a lovely, big track that suits him down to the ground.”

With Pukekohe’s home straight of 447 metres - 65 metres longer than Ellerslie and the second longest in the country - it allowed Lincoln King to really wind up in the Avondale Cup (2400m) at his last start.

Stephen Marsh … “Pukekohe is a lovely, big track that suits him down to the ground.”Stuck behind a wall of horses, jockey Vinny Colgan was able to extricate the horse only in the last 200 metres, which he ran in 11.89 seconds, the fastest in the field.

On Saturday the country’s top hoop Opie Bosson climbs aboard, looking for his third Auckland Cup success after riding Sangster to win in 2013 and Titch in 2011.

“Vinny did a good job last time but going in with the best jockey in the country gives you even more confidence and the horse is peaking at just the right time.

“We haven’t had to peak for the Wellington Cup and then peak again. This has been his target all the way through.

“Everything has gone perfectly. His first two races were conditioning go-rounds and he’s gone ahead since the Avondale Cup, he’s happy and eating well.”

34ml of rain predicted

Marsh wasn’t too happy hearing that 34ml of rain is predicted to fall in Pukekohe on Friday morning.

“We don’t want a slow track but a 5 or 6 would be all right. As long as the rain is done by lunch time Friday he should be fine.”

The track this afternoon was rated a soft 5.

“I think he has a really good chance of getting some money. I can’t fault him.”

And what about his age? Is it a worry that only two eight-year-olds have won the cup in the last 64 years?

“No, he’s all right. I told him he’s only seven. But don’t print he’s eight, he might read it tonight.”

* More than half the field on Saturday are seven or older - Roger That is 10, Daytona Red nine, Lincoln King, Leaderboard and Hinepara eight and Nerve Not Verve, Platinum Invador and Ata Rangi seven.