Lincoln’s Girl and driver Hayden Barnes were too tough for their trial rivals yesterday. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
Strong trial win sees Al change tack with Lincoln’s Girl and target Tuesday mile
By Barry Lichter • 31 July 2019
Trainer Al Barnes will reserve Lincoln’s Girl for Albion Park on Tuesday after she scored a strong trial win on the course yesterday.
Barnes had planned to race the filly in Sunday’s A$7500 Marburg Oaks but her tough run yesterday has tilted him in favour of running next week for A$8500 over a more preferable distance.
“Rather than running in the Oaks over 2200 metres on an unfamiliar tight track, where she might over-race and pull, I thought she’d be better over 1660 metres on Tuesday for more money.
“She’s been a bit fresh and needed the hitout yesterday but did a power of work and won very convincingly.
“She started from two on the second row, went three wide to the chair and on to the top at the 800 and was too strong, winning by 1.9 metres.”
Lincoln’s Girl, freshened since the Queensland Oaks, clocked 1:59.4 in beating Bettor Vision over the 1660 metres, a mile rate of 1:55.8, home in 57.4 and 29.2.
A few minutes before Lincoln’s Girl trialled yesterday, Barnes won a race with former Lincoln Farms’ pacer Miss Blue Glory who paced similar time to Lincoln’s Girl.
Barnes will start Trojan Banner in Sunday’s Marburg Derby, confident he will improve on his seventh last night when he was forced to work overtime throughout the race.
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Friday night at Auckland
What’s Up The Hill.
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Nathan’s comments
Tuesday twilight at Manawatu
Race 3: Onyx Shard
5.09pm
“She’s working really well and, from the good draw, hopefully she can run a drum. The field’s not that much harder than the one she beat last time at Manawatu (when parked for the last lap).”
Race 3: Kevin Kline
5.09pm
“We’re very happy with him - he’s come back a better horse. He went well at Auckland last start and is working well. We’ll be looking to go forward from the gate and hopefully get a gun run through behind Onyx Shard. On ability, he’s the better chance of the two.”
Race 4: Leo Lincoln
5.39pm
“He stepped like a bullet in his first go from a stand here in March. I thought he’d do the same on the second day but he galloped. We’ve got an overcheck on and hopple shorteners on Tuesday so he should make a good beginning. If he can step and lead, then maybe take a trail, he should be hard to beat. He likes it down there where the track is quite soft.”
