Champion driver Maurice McKendry thinks Lincoln Royal - or Sir Lincoln as he’s known in NZ - is the right horse to rekindle memories of the golden decade when Kiwi raiders dominated the Victoria Derby.  If you count Tricky Vic, who was in transition from a Kiwi to an Aussie for his 2002 win, New Zealand pacers won eight successive Derbys between 1996 and 2003.
They were: Sharp And Telford (1996), Lavros Star (’97), Holmes D G (’98), Courage Under Fire (’99), Stars And Stripes (2000), Rare Gem (’01), Tricky Vic and Bella’s Boy (’03)
A significant and much-needed boost in NZ’s stakemoney has seen the quality and quantity of the 3-year-olds crossing the Tasman for the Victoria Derby really diminish in recent years.
But the Ray Green-trained Lincoln Royal is a step back to the glory.

Even the hardest judges would say he’s in the top two or three of his age group in NZ this season.  McKendry arrived for his first drive at Victoria’s new harness racing home, Melton’s Tabcorp Park, confident of a big showing from Lincoln Royal and the son of Mach Three delivered.  “I’ve always thought he’s a really smart young horse and he showed it again tonight,” McKendry said.  “He’s obviously handled the trip across well because he felt fantastic out there.  “He did a bit of work to find the front, but nothing he couldn’t handle. I still felt like I had a lot of horse left at the finish.”

McKendry joined the chorus of horsemen thrilled to have a drive in one of the major races at Moonee Valley’s farewell meeting on Saturday night.  After 33 years as Victoria’s home of harness, this week’s Hunter Cup card will be the last at Moonee Valley. Melton’s Tabcorp Park will host all of the sport’s major races from then on.  “It’s a bonus the Derby’s at the last Moonee Valley meeting, I’m really pleased about that,” McKendry said.

“It’ll be a bit of a sentimental time, even a bit sad, for me because I’ve driven in some really good races at the Valley.  “I can imagine how much it’s going to mean to the guys who have been a much bigger part of the track’s history.”  Back to the $250,000 Victoria Derby Final, and McKendry thinks Lincoln Royal is the horse to beat with a kind draw.

“Obviously we don’t get to see too much of the Aussie 3-year-olds back home, but I was well aware Lanercost and For A Reason were very, very good,” he said.  “Lanercost came out and did what was expected in the First Heat, but the one who impressed me, and everybody else I’d reckon, was Major Bronski.  “Given how highly For A Reason is rated, I was surprised to see a horse (Major Bronski) sit outside him and beat him. It was a fantastic win, and he’s going to be a tough nut to crack in the Final.”

Major Bronski is trained by Stuey Hunter of Flashing Red fame and, despite sitting parked, he dashed home in a 26.8 last 400m to easily beat a disappointing For A Reason in a 1.58.3 mile rate for 2240m.  Lincoln Royal clocked exactly the same mile rate in the third and final Heat, but the races were run very differently.  While Major Bronski’s race was a sprint home after a slow lead time, Lincoln Royal burned at the start, dawdled in the middle, then sprinted home again at the finish.

Lincoln’s Royal lead time, when he was working seriously hard to find the front, was 43.3 compared to 46.5 for Major Bronski and 47.3 for Lanercost.  But Major Bronski’s driver Chris Alford, driving a Hunter-trained horse for the first time, said he wouldn’t swap his drive in the Final for anything.  “That was an amazing win,” he said.

“I was content to run second to For A Reason when I had to sit outside him, but when Luke (McCarthy, driving For A Reason) roared at his horse on the home bend and didn’t kick away, I pulled the (ear) plugs on Major Bronski and he quickly had the leader covered.  “Blueagle, Golden Reign and Tailamade Lombo are the best 3-year-olds I’ve driven and this guy felt up in the same league as them.”

Alford is chasing his third Victoria Derby win after scoring on Golden Reign in 1993 and Blueagle in 1995.  Lanercost’s trainer/driver Darrel Graham said the PGG Wrightson Ready To Run purchase did everything he wanted to win his Heat.  “It was only his third run for the season and he did it comfortably. He had the easiest run of the Heat winners and I know how much improvement there is to come,” he said. 

New Zealand will also be represented in the Final by the underrated Courage To Rule, who ran a lot better in his Derby Heat than a fourth placing to Lanercost reads on paper.  Driver Greg Bennett was forced to make a sustained three-wide run without cover from back in the field.
Despite the winner running a blistering 26.5 last 400m, Courage To Rule kept coming to finish just 5.5 metres away.  SA Derby winner Renaissance Man lost few admirers with a third to Lanercost after working around to sit outside the leader.  The other eye-catching run of the Heats came from Chariot King, who also worked outside of Lincoln Royal for the second half of his Heat and held on well for second.