Metro Finals go to Father Barry and Johnny Lincoln

Father Barry (Father Patrick) hasn’t become the trotter trainer John Dickie thought he would.

Well, not yet anyway.

The five-year-old trotter recorded the fourth win of his career in the $35,000 Metro Final at Alexandra Park on Friday night, which may sound like a promising start for a horse who has had just 24 starts.

But the problem is Father Barry ran second in a Group 2 Sires’ Stakes Trot at just his second start as a three-year-old so set the bar kind of high.

And so far he hasn’t reached that level again.

“The ability is there and I originally thought he was an open class trotter,” says Dickie, whose son Joshua drove Father Barry.

“But his brain has let him down, especially from standing starts.

“It has been a concentration thing, which is why he wears half hopples from a stand whereas he is fine from a mobile.

“I actually thought he might have ended up in Australia for the all mobile racing somewhere like Menangle but he hasn’t so we will keep working on him.

“I think a trip away might actually be really good for him, something to get him out of his routine because he has done so much of his racing at Alexandra Park.

“But that was a really valuable win tonight for his new owner Steve Waters, who only bought him a few weeks ago, so we will keep working on him and hope he gets better mentally.”

FATHER BARRY REPLAY

Earlier in the night the other $35,000 Metro Final for the pacers was taken out by the much-improved Johnny Lincoln even after he had the toughest run.

The Ray Green and Nathan Delany-trained three-year-old worked forward early but was unable to reach his desire leading position in a 2200m mobile with plenty of tempo on.

Yet while that should have been enough to end his chances he was brave all the way down the Alexandra Park straight to record the fourth and richest win of his career.

Johnny Lincoln used to over-race, sometimes quite fiercely, and while he still has plenty to learn there is no doubting his courage.

He was one of two three-year-old winners for the stable as a race earlier Lincoln Wave remained unbeaten at start two by leading throughout.

It was a very apt win as he is part-owned by long-time Auckland Trotting Club steward David Turner and the race was named after him as he had celebrated his birthday just the day before.

The Green/Delany stable could have actually had a early treble of winning three-year-olds had it not been for Sammy Lincoln throwing away Race 2 with a home bend gallop, although few could begrudge the winner Chanel Noire after she overcame her own check at the 400m mark to win in the style of a mare who will be visiting the winner’s circle again soon.

But the Pukekohe stable got that treble later on the programme with Spiritual Bliss out-grinding her opponents to win the tightest-assessed pace and continue her outstanding form since crossing Cook Strait.

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand