Cyclone Oma as it appears today, lurking off the coast of Brisbane.
Trainer reassures: Cyclone Oma can’t touch my two new Kiwi imports
By Barry Lichter • 22 February 2019
With a cyclone bearing down on Queensland, trainer Al Barnes has reassured Lincoln Farms bosses that new arrivals Trojan Banner and Lincoln’s Girl are out of harm’s way.
Al Barnes … excited about the futures for Trojan Banner and Lincoln’s Girl.Barnes reports the pair are in safe and spacious boxes so will be amply protected should Tropical Cyclone Oma turn nasty.
But latest reports today say places like Barnes’ Marburg stables, 60km inland of Brisbane, should escape too much damage with the cyclone just downgraded to a category one system.
Severe weather warnings are still in place as the slow moving system lingers 700km north east of Brisbane.
Lincoln’s Girl pictured in her safe surroundings at Marburg today.Barnes says both Trojan Banner and Lincoln’s Girl have got over the colds which affected them soon after their arrival at the start of the month.
“Trojan Banner will be at the trials in two or three weeks.’’
Lincoln’s Girl, who is in the early stages of a new campaign, will take a little longer to hit the racetrack.
Barnes says he is excited to have two such quality horses join his barn and expects they will do a great job for Lincoln Farms and its partners.
Trojan Banner tucking into his feed today. He is over his cold and will be trialling in a couple of weeks.Lincoln Road on highway to the top
Barnes, who is helped by his partner Cassie Saunders and sons Hayden and Brendan, are enjoying a terrific run at present with another Lincoln Farms graduate, Lincoln Road, who was bought in a package deal with Blue Glory last year.
Lincoln Road has started 11 times in Queensland and has won seven of his last eight starts, scoring recent back-to-back wins at Albion Park on February 8 and 16.
He posted a mile rate of 1:54.8 in winning over 1660 metres and 1:57.9 when scoring over 2138 metres, winning with authority both times.
(Miss) Blue Glory has also come good, scoring on February 12 in her seventh local start.
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Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
