Sammy Lincoln best of Harry Orange's chances at Alex Park

By Michael Guerin

After the dizzying heights of being a Group 1 player for the last month it is back to reality for young driving star Harry Orange at Alexandra Park tonight.

But it is not a bad reality for a young horseman.

Orange won his first Group 1 at the carnival that ended last week with Higher Power in the Anzac Cup and was driving in plenty of the big races.

But what mattered to him almost as much was getting consistently big books at the major meetings.

“I have been getting six or seven drives every Friday which has been awesome,” says Orange.

That isn’t so easy to achieve tonight as Alexandra Park only has seven races but Orange has one of the best drives of the night in Sammy Lincoln (R4, 6.57pm). 

The big three-year-old drops back to maiden grade after a last-start fourth in Jumal’s Woodlands Northern Derby, with a Sires’ Stakes semi final placing before that.

“He should have won a maiden by now but I haven’t been able to win on him,” laughs Orange.

“But he is getting better and more tractable all the time and having raced at the higher level he looks the horse to beat this week.”

Sammy Lincoln is drawn one on the second line but the only horse outside him is a stablemate who shouldn’t get in his way so he should be off the markers early if Orange wants and he looks advanced and safe enough to now be put in the race.

Orange starts the night behind Muchacho who also faces a second line draw in the opener.

“He has the ability to win but my first job is to get him around and I think being out in the open and clear air will help him.”

Orange teams up with Leo Lincoln (R5, No.2) in tonight’s standing start pacing handicap as he reverts to his normal grade after being thrown into the Messenger last Friday to help get that race off the ground.

He won a similar race to tonight on the Night Of Champions at Cambridge after trailing and if he can step well and get to the markers again he has to be an each way threat, with his $13 looking value.

“He can win for sure because this is a pretty big drop in class.”

One of Orange’s most interesting drives comes in the TAB Metro heat that is the last on the card in which he partners Mama’s Wish (R7, No.2).

He was a promising two-year-old who raced at the highest level last season and Orange says he gave him a good feel winning a recent workout.

“He felt like he wanted to be there and has some real talent,” he says.

“It is a good field but he has a good draw.”

Orange says he wouldn’t have minded staying on one of the threats in the race in Prince Lincoln, who he drove to a huge win in a fast time last Friday.

“He jogged it last week and if he can get a decent run from the second line he will be hard to beat.”

Peter Ferguson will take the drive behind Prince Lincoln. 

The 1700m mobile also contains talented three-year-old Incentivise, who has looked ready in two recent workouts, as well as the in-form Chanel Noire in the race of the night.