Watch Neptune’s hot workout and you’ll see why the stable thinks he can win for Ray

Neptune looks the best chance for Lincoln Farms at Auckland on Thursday night when the stable will be out to kick a few goals for trainer Ray Green, laid up in Middlemore Hospital.

The promising two-year-old hasn’t raced for four months but Green identified his class in five introductory runs during June and July when he chased home some talented types.

The Bettor’s Delight colt was doing a lot of growing at the time and Green warned we wouldn’t see his true worth until Christmas time.

Evidence that Green’s prediction was likely to be spot on came at Pukekohe last Saturday when Neptune could not have been more impressive in winning his first workout back.

Handled patiently by stable junior Monika Ranger, Neptune was last 300 metres from home when he unleashed a powerful run round the field and roared up the straight past unraced stablemate Bettor Cheer and five other rivals.

Neptune’s mile rate of 2:03.9 for the 2050 metres was nothing to write home about but the dominance of his one length win was and stable foreman Andrew Drake is expecting a big effort from the colt on Thursday night.

“He looks our best chance. He’s a big, solid boy now, a lot stronger than he was, and he’s been working well.

“He’s had only one workout so may need the run but drawing one will help - he won’t have to go round a horse.”

Neptune, a $120,000 yearling buy, is the first colt from the eight-race winning mare Safedra who has already left fine winners Buzinga, Dr Susan, La Rosa and Allegra, who was sold to Perth for big money.

The breed has mostly made an impact as three-year-olds but under the old season structure Neptune would already have been four months into his classic year.

David Butcher salutes after winning on Frankie Major last week.Earlier in the night, Frankie Major will be looking to back up his excellent win of last week in the second race where being the only one drawn on the second row should help him.

“From that draw he should hopefully trail or be three deep,” says Drake. “He’s shown what a great turn of foot he has if he’s not used too much out of the gate.”

Last Friday at Auckland while Frankie Major took an early lead, he quickly relented to race favourite Beach Flybye and, when launched up the passing lane, proved too good for Lou Baby, a rival again on Thursday.

The effort underlined his unlucky run at his previous start in the $170,000 Woodlands Sires’ Stakes’ Final at Addington, when he recorded the third fastest sectionals in the race but from a second row draw could manage only a late-closing eighth.

Frankie Major meets a couple of talented older rivals in Blazing Louie and Midfrew Lucre on Thursday but looks a sold each-way chance.

Simply Sam … has residual fitness from his Victorian campaign. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.Sam two stone lighter

Speedy three-year-old Simply Sam makes a return to the Park in the eighth race, two stone lighter but with more game after his Melbourne campaign.

Simply Sam wasn’t up to the best three-year-olds in his last start on October 8 in the Victoria Derby at Melton but he wasn’t disgraced in running a 20 metre eighth behind Leap To Fame.

He was consistently in the money in four previous starts in the state, running third in his derby heat behind the rocket-propelled Captain Ravishing and winning a 1690 metre scamper at Shepparton.

The first thing Green did on his return was to geld Simply Sam who became very difficult to manage on the trip but Drake says he missed little work.

“He had a little bit of swelling but we kept jogging him and then he was straight back into it.

“He’ll definitely be better for the run but he has that residual fitness from Australia and Ray thought he might as well line up with the race being worth $25,000.”

Green drove Simply Sam in a strong training run last Saturday with stablemates Copy That and Riverman Sam and was happy enough with his readiness.

“I drove Copy That and had him covered, but we went a solid 3:12 (2400m), home in 27.1,” Drake said.

Monika Ranger … drives My Copy and Whiz On Bye from outside draws.Tricky assignments for Monika

Ranger has two tricky assignments on Thursday, teaming with last-start winner My Copy (race six) and Whiz On Bye (race 10), who have both drawn the outside of the front line.

“Moni will have to go back on My Copy, run home and hope he can run a place.

“He’s always a chance. He looks like a racehorse now, he’s grown into his build and he’s fit.”

Whiz On Bye might be a 14-start maiden but Drake says he’s enjoyed little luck in his career.

“He often seems to cop bad draws or get held up and by the time he builds up speed again they’ve already gone.

“I thought his last start fourth was his best run for a while though - he showed a bit of zip over the last bit.”

Fourth behind smart debut winner Wicked Wanda at Cambridge, Whiz On Bye finished on well, clocking a useful 2:43.3 for the 2200 metres.

Ranger drove Whiz On Bye into second at last Saturday’s Pukekohe workouts when second, beaten a length by Drake’s own horse Line Me Up in a 2:04 mile rate.

“Moni had a good hold on him at the finish. If he can’t get into it this week from the draw he might find it easier at Cambridge next week when we have back-to-back meetings in the north.”