Sugar Ray Lincoln rushes past Shake A Leg to score his first win. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.
Sugar Ray Lincoln and older bro’ Copy That two peas in a pod - bad boys made good
By Barry Lichter • 28 June 2024
Just how closely the career of Sugar Ray Lincoln is starting to mirror that of his older brother Copy That is not lost on Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green.
When the two-year-old came from the tail of the field on the home turn to run over the top of his rivals at Auckland on Thursday night, it was his sixth raceday start, belying his 2, 12, 8, 4, 6 formline.
Five years ago, in June, 2019, Copy That, also in his sixth start, turned around a similarly mediocre career record of 5, 5, 6, 5, 7.
Sugar Ray might not have laid down a seven-and-a-half length winning margin like Copy That, but he showed enough of a turn of foot to give Green plenty of hope for the future.
“This horse is very similar to Copy That in a lot of ways,” Green said. “He winds himself up a bit and Copy That was the same early on.
“Hopefully he finds Copy That’s kind of speed as well.”
Just like Copy That confounded his drivers when being educated, Sugar Ray is proving a challenge.
On Thursday night, Green didn’t put the horse’s kicking strap on (over his rump) and before the start he put the boot in.
“He barrelled the cart but luckily didn’t get a leg over the shaft. That seemed to get something out of his system because Maurice said he was perfect in the running.”
Uncannily, Sugar Ray has the same Houdini-like skills as Copy That of slipping out of his bridle if left tied-up unattended.
“They pull the same kind of antics but hopefully we’re on track with Sugar Ray now. We just want to see him keep going round without doing stupid things.
“It was a big relief seeing him do what he did tonight and he really outclassed them. With one hit on arse he really surged at them.”
Trainer Ray Green tried all kinds of gear on Copy That before the penny dropped.Sugar Ray clocked only 2:44.8 for the 2200 metres, a mile rate of 2:00.5, compared to Copy That’s 2:43.3 maiden win five years ago.
But he did it in only three and a half months, compared to the five months it took for the penny to drop with Copy That, now a $2 million earner.
“Times don’t mean much,” Green said. “They just tell you how the race was run and the middle stages were pretty slow.”
But Sugar Ray’s closing 800 of 56 gave Green plenty of reason to start searching programmes today for when the big two-year-old features like the Sires’ Stakes are being held later in the year.
“There’s nothing much for him for the next couple of months so we’ll just play it by ear. And so long as he behaves himself, he’ll stay a colt. I prefer racing colts.”
A couple of weeks of wet weather and the unavailability of Lincoln Farms’ vet saved Sugar Ray from being gelded after his last poor performance at Auckland on June 13.
“If he turns ugly and becomes a danger to himself or others, then we’ll look at it again.”
Sugar Ray Lincoln (American Ideal - Lively Nights), a $60,000 yearling, is raced by Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, along with their business manager Ian Middleton, Green’s wife Debbie, and Phil Cook.
“Phil was rapt,” John Street said. “He won like a nice horse and I think it was even easier than it looked.”
More news in Harness
Prince Lincoln spearheads record-sized team for Lincoln Farms at Cambridge on Friday
Ray cautions punters with no lead this time for Jekyll and Hyde colt Prince Lincoln
Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
