Why $34 rank outsider Obadiah Dragon takes Ray’s fancy at Auckland on Friday night

Call him crazy, but Lincoln Farms trainer Ray Green is tipping rank outsider Obadiah Dragon as the stable’s best chance at Auckland on Friday night.

With an average-looking form line and at odds of $34 and $5.50, twice as much as the second roughest in the race, Obadiah Dragon would seem at first glance an unlikely prospect.

But Green says the Fear The Dragon gelding is racing far better than it would appear and he rates him and each-way chance, even from a wide draw.

“He’s an improving horse who is right in the zone. He’s better than most people think and I’m sure he’ll go a good race.”

Green says Obadiah Dragon’s last two starts, at Auckland and Cambridge, don’t reflect his recent improvement as he’s been held up at crucial times.

At Cambridge on May 9 the race was all but over by the time driver Andre Poutama was able to work into the clear wide out, finishing fastest to get within 1.1 lengths of stablemate Leo Lincoln.

And last week at Alexandra Park, from seven on the gate, he ended up five deep, and was again held up when trying to improve in the run home, eventually forced over a marker peg when in tight quarters close to the post.

Obadiah Dragon, a dual Manawatu winner, gave a hint at what was to come when, three starts back at Cambridge, he looped the field to lead mid-race, gobbled up late in the last 100 metres in Skipper’s slick 2:41.3 win.

All four of Lincoln Farms’ remaining runners will be at good odds on Friday night, Leo Lincoln at $15 and $2.70, the most favoured from the pole in the fifth race.

“He went another good race last week, slightly inconvenienced at a bad time. He wasn’t very quick out of the gate but did enough to hold up three fence.

“It’s a smaller field this time so it might be run a bit differently but he’ll need the right trip.”

My Copy ($26, $3.80), who draws alongside Leo, is always a chance, says Green.

“He went another good, honest race last week, but had to come four wide on the home turn. He’s better suited in a smaller field on Friday but will need all the breaks.”

It took all of Zachary Butcher’s skills to get Lincoln Cove home at Cambridge. PHOTO: Angelique Bridson.Green says he’s given up trying to predict what Lincoln Cove ($16, $3.60) will do.

Sixth favourite in the third race, he starts from the inside of the second row, in a race seemingly dominated by the very promising Hawkeye Pierce.

“You wouldn’t know what our horse is going to do. It depends whether he wants to win or not. He trained really well last week. This week he’s been going like shit.”

Lincoln Cove, who finally did everything right winning his last start at Cambridge on April 25, tended to get in right-handed, so could be an even more dicey proposition at Auckland.

Frisco Bay ($51, $8), from two on the second row, will need a lot of luck.

“It’s impossible to predict what might happen from that draw but you can put a line through his last run, they went nothing and only sprinted up the straight.”