Argyle going OK but any takers for staying up ‘til 1.25am to watch him debut in Queensland?
Trainer Mark Dux is expecting Argyle to acquit himself well when he makes his Sunshine State debut but he stops short of urging his New Zealand owners to stay up until 1.25am on Sunday morning to watch him.
The three-year-old runs in the 10th race, the Group III A$31,768 Yearling Sale Classic (2138m), drawn a little awkwardly in five against what Dux describes as nice, but not top line three-year-olds.
Dux has had Argyle for about four weeks and is still feeling his way with the Lincoln Farms’ horse who accredited himself pretty well on a four-start Victorian campaign, winning first-up at Melton and running a second there last start on October 8.
“I’ve just been poking along with him since he arrived from Melbourne. He’s coming along well and worked OK on Tuesday.
“I don’t mind him. At this stage he’s not as good as Nemo (Captain Nemo) or Tommy (Tommy Lincoln), but then he’s only lightly raced and he seems to keep getting better.
“This looks like a nice race for him to start off in - he’s the highest rated. They’re not world beaters, not the best three-year-olds, but they’re OK.”
Dux says, from the draw, he’ll be instructing driver Nathan Dawson to handle Argyle a bit quietly early.
He expects Chantal Turpin’s pair to speed to the top, Pete McMullen crossing to the early lead on Awaywego then probably handing up to stablemate Alta Revelry.
“The small field suits us - we don’t have to bustle him early - and he can come out nicely and hopefully get a trail midfield.
“If they roll along he should be thereabouts at the finish.”
Strong Cup line-up
Earlier in the night - at 11.52pm NZ time - Tommy Lincoln tackles a strong line-up in the Group II A$53,000 Queensland Cup (2138m), Dux not expecting him to be able to beat the favourites including Turn It Up and Blacksadance.
“It will be tough for him to win. He’s not far off those horses but he can’t do quite as much work as they can. If he runs top four or five I’d be really happy.”
Dux says Mathew Neilson will probably roll forward with Tommy from gate four.
“We can’t cross the one (Mach Da Vinci) and I expect his stablemate Turn it Up to come across and take over.
“We’ll more than likely get cover though. Blacksadance should come and we could get one-one or one-two cover. And the way he’s finishing off his races, he won’t be far away.
“He’s settling much better, that’s been his biggest downfall. The other night if he’d been behind (leader) Blacksadance, instead of three back, who knows what might have happened. I’m not saying we would have beaten him, but we would have been a lot closer.”
As it was, Tommy Lincoln closed to within 1.9 metres of Blacksadance in the Group III Be Good Johnny Sprint, running past Mach Da Vinci to grab the A$5336 second prize.
Dux also has Captain Nemo entered in the third race but, as first emergency, he looks unlikely to get a start.
“Even from that bad alley I’d have expected him to race OK. His first-up fourth was terrific. He just went a bit too hard down the back, got a bit keen, and ran out of petrol. But I was real happy with him.
“He’ll run on Tuesday instead.”
More news in Harness
Brace for Ray and Lincoln Farms at Cambridge but Colonel’s placing just as thrilling
Ray: Preferential draw for top fillies makes it tough for everyone else in Golden Gait series
Patient owners hoping high-priced Colonel can salute at Cambridge on Thursday night
Friday’s Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup all about the standing start manners of Aussie raider
Our runners this week
Tuesday at Cambridge
Colonel Lincoln, Onyx Shard, Commander Lincoln, Debbie Lincoln, Kevin Kline, Lincoln La Moose, The Big Lebowski.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 2: Commander Lincoln
5.51pm
“Back to Cambridge and the easier amateur ranks he can get some of it. He’s an honest little horse who pays his way.”
Race 4: Onyx Shard
6.49pm
“She’s a nice filly who is training really well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her in the money in spite of the outside draw. She’d be one of the best in that field and is definitely an each-way chance.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.39pm
“He hasn’t raced for nearly 21 months but his training has been good and he should go well first-up. He’s a beautiful, big horse who probably lacks a yard of speed to be a real super horse but he’s got everything else. I expect him to go well against this lot.”
Race 7: Lincoln La Moose
8.04pm
“He’s training well and has surprised us before, like when he won his first start at Cambridge like a monster after breaking on the first turn. It’s always the way when they win their first start - it makes things hard for them after that - but he’s travelling well now and is capable of being in it.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.09pm
“He’ll be relying on a heap of good luck from the second row. His last run was a non-event. The poor little bugger couldn’t have done a better job of finding trouble. He’s trained on all right.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.09pm
“He’s training really well and he showed last time what a big motor he had, losing all that ground early and still getting up to win. He’s not famous for his gate speed but as long as he gets away safely then Maurice can put him in the race at the right time. There are a lot of horses in there that aren’t that safe who could stand on their ear. Navigating through them is always a worry. He’ll need some luck but he could give them a fright.”
Race 6: Frisco Bay
8.05pm
“He obviously can’t beat Duchess Megxit or Jeremiah but if he gets a good trip he’s a chance of getting some money. Things didn’t suit him last time - being out three wide then going to the front. He’s so hot, he over-races. He goes best if he’s allowed to slop out and find the back of something, when he generally relaxes. Even if he got back a bit, that would be all right, so long as he gets sucked along.”