After winning at The Valley’s first race meeting of the season, New Zealand import Lincoln Rocks (NZ) (Road To Rock) is entered to head back there on Saturday aiming to make it back-to-back victories.
The six-year-old gelding made it two wins from three Australian starts when he took out a 2040-metre Benchmark 70 on August 10 at The Valley and will run run over the same distance in Saturday’s Benchmark 78 on the Carlyon Stakes program.
“He won there two weeks ago and he heads back,” co-trainer Annabel Neasham said.
“He’s been a horse the owners have had to be patient with, he’s had his few little setbacks, but he seems in a good frame of mind. He’s a talented horse.”
Lincoln Rocks was restrained from his draw to settle back in the field last start, before jockey Mark Zahra got going before the home turn to put the gelding into the race.
Neasham is hopeful for a better barrier draw this time.
“He won from back in the field and had to loop the field and was strong late,” Neasham said.
“Hopefully he can just draw a bit better. He’s had a few bad gates now, so if he can draw a bit better and settle a bit closer without doing any work, he should run well again.”
Lincoln Rocks, who races in the colours of OTI Racing, has an overall record of four wins and three placings from 12 career starts.
He has now had three starts in Australia for two wins and a placing, having originally been prepared by Lisa Latta in New Zealand, for whom he won two of nine starts.
