This Lincoln sure does rock - high flying Lisa Latta predicts bright staying future

It would be only fitting if promising stayer Lincoln Rocks racks up the wins now that he is over his niggling issues.

Watching the horse romp clear at Hastings yesterday, owners John and Lynne Street couldn’t help but ponder what might have been.

Six years ago at the same venue they watched Lincoln Rocks’ mum Princess Maryanne bolt home on debut by four and a quarter lengths. But just two months later the dream was over when she injured a tendon and was retired.

“Lisa Latta thought she could have been anything,” John Street said.

“This horse is the image of his mother, the way he presents and looks, the same colour. And the way he won yesterday you’d think he’ll win a few more. I just hope he goes on with it and stays sound.”

John Street … “the way he won yesterday you’d think he’ll win a few more.”It was the unfulfilled potential of Princess Maryanne that saw the Streets retain her as a broodmare, one of only two they kept when shedding their breeding stock.

And today they have a string of likely types out of the Darci Brahma mare, three-year-old Lincoln Lady who won a trial first time of asking at Avondale two weeks ago, two-year-old Billy Lincoln “who is a beautiful horse” and an unnamed Sweynesse yearling.

Latta believes the Streets are in for plenty of fun with Lincoln Rocks who quickly put his rating 65 opposition away yesterday, clocking a tidy 2:10.41 for the 2100 metres, nearly three seconds faster than the rating 87 equivalent won by Aljay.

“He’s always shown ability and we knew when we got him up over a staying distance we’d see his best,” Latta said.

Lincoln Rocks did just that when tried for the first time over 2200 metres at Waverley on April 1, 2022, powering home to win his maiden.

But his preparation was halted when he pulled a muscle in his shoulder.

“Every time we thought we had him right, he’d go sore again,” Latta said.

The upshot was Lincoln Rocks was unsighted on the racetrack for 12 months, resuming as a four-year-old one year to the day after his win at Awapuni.

Two starts later, again when stepped up over ground, he was back in the winner’s circle, responding to an expert Jonathan Riddell ride.

“He seems a much stronger horse, mentally and physically, and he’s got over all his niggles.

“He’ll go through the grades now but I’ll probably give him only one more start then he’ll have a short break.

“I’d like to get him ready for Riccarton in November where they have those nice staying races over 2500 metres. The trip away will do him the world of good too.”

Lincoln Rocks, one of three winners on the day for Latta who is now just two wins off third place in the trainers’ premiership with 39 wins, is by the ill-fated Wellfield Lodge sire Road To Rock.

Put down in March, 2020 after a long battle with laminitis, Road To Rock left a number of talented gallopers, undoubtedly the best of which was Hong Kong champion Beauty Generation, winner of 18 of his 34 starts, eight at Group I level, and HK$106 million in prizemoney.