Forget the form line, Nemo is in Saturday’s race at Albion Park ‘right up to his ears’

Captain Nemo’s 00 formline might not instil much confidence but he’s in Saturday night’s race at Albion Park “right up to his ears”, says trainer Mark Dux.

“I rate him a good top three chance,” Dux said of the Lincoln Farms’ five-year-old who drops from a band 5 race to a much weaker field made up of up to rating 70 pacers.

Captain Nemo is rated 71, but gets into the sixth race courtesy of claiming junior Nathan Rothwell and what he does from the six alley could determine the outcome of the race, says Dux.

“I’ll leave it up to Nathan to decide, depending on how the horse feels, but I think he’ll probably want to run the way he’s been feeling in his work.

“I think maybe we roll the dice and take our chances. As long as he doesn’t have to burn stupidly off the gate, if he can find the top, they’ll know he’s in the race.

“Sometimes going forward from a wide draw can be your undoing and the only worry on Saturday is I’m worried Allmighty Max might try to hold from three. He won a trial the other day in 1:52.8.”

But Dux says if Captain Nemo goes back and they dawdle, like last week, his chances are nil.

When the leader ran an opening quarter in 32.1, and another in 30, Dux says that was the end of Nemo, who beat only one home.

Despite running good sectionals again - Nemo ran the fastest first half (60.93) and middle half (57.12) and the second fastest last mile (1.56.8), driver Adam Sanderson said he simply couldn’t get into the race.

“I told him to make sure you have him ready to go at the half. He came in and said he was ready but had nowhere to go. He had no choice but to go back to the inside and hope for luck.”

Rothwell will be having his first drive on Nemo and Dux says he’s warned the youngster the horse will feel like nothing in the warm-up and just flop around.

“If he’s still like that in the score-up I’ve told him to drive the horse quietly and, if he has to be the first to make a three wide run at the bell, sobeit.

“It’s a winnable race, I’m really happy with the horse.”

Captain Nemo races at 9.40pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.