Five-year-old Lincoln River is bred to be a good winner. He is by champion sire Bettors Delight, and his dam Ideal Belle won the group 1 New Zealand Oaks over 2600m at Addington in May 2014 before being retired with a record of seven wins, 13 placings and $204,316 in stakes from 34 starts.
He gave a sample of his ability at Gloucester Park on Friday night, when at his second appearance in WA, he unwound a spirited finishing burst to score an emphatic victory in the 1730m Trotsynd Register Your Interest Pace.
Unfortunately, Lincoln River’s trainer Jemma Hayman was at home, recovering from the effects of a kick on the knee from one of her pacers.
Her husband Ross Olivieri was left in charge on race night and was suitably impressed with 19-year-old Abbey Vidovich’s performance in the sulky with the $8.10 fifth fancy’s display to overcome the disadvantage of beginning from out wide at the No. 7 barrier.
Vidovich did not bustle Lincoln River and was happy to settle him down in eighth place, one-out and three-back, while the polemarker and $3.40 equal favourite Henty was setting a solid pace, with Eastern Advance ($31) in the breeze and Northview Dance ($6.50) trailing the leader and Pinny Noir ($4.80) racing in the favourable one-out, one-back position.
Vidovich showed skill as she weaved her way through the field in the final circuit to finally send Lincoln River to the front about 70m from the post on his way to winning by 4m from Northview Dance, with $101 outsider Snakey Bay running on from seventh at the bell (on the pegs) to finish a head away in third place.
Lincoln River rated a smart 1.54.9 at his second appearance in WA which improved his record to 70 starts for eight wins, 17 placings and $110,937 in stakes. He won five races in New Zealand and two in Victoria before owner Merv Butterworth sent him to WA to be prepared by Ms Hayman.
Quite remarkably, this ended a losing sequence of 18 for Lincoln River, whose previous success was in the 2612m Boort Cup last March when he was beaten home by a length by Collective Works, who was disqualified after breaking in front 350m after the start, going inside the marker pegs for about 20m and then regaining the lead.
Before Friday night’s outing Lincoln River was unlucky at his WA debut seven nights earlier when he began from barrier six, was trapped wide early and then restrained to last in the field of twelve before he ran home powerfully to finish an unlucky fourth behind Illawong Mustang over 1730m.
“That run was very good, and that’s why I was positive tonight,” said Vidovich. “The runs came in the last lap, and he took them and he finished off super.”
