Argyle, third from the top, is swallowed up late at Albion Park at his last start.
Argyle out of action, injured, and barrier draw will take Nemo out of play too on Saturday
By Barry Lichter • 18 April 2024
In-form Argyle will be out of action for a few months after injuring a suspensory ligament in his last race at Albion Park in Brisbane.
Argyle paced a terrific race in front and was gobbled up only in the last 50 metres, finishing a close fifth, but he was noticeably short in his action on pulling up.
And when his off front leg blew up quite quickly afterwards, trainer Mark Dux knew the five-year-old was looking at a holiday.
“I’ve been wrapping it and treating it for the last fortnight and you can see a bit of definition now in the leg, which is a good sign, as it was like a stove pipe before.
“These things normally take a while to settle down but I’m pretty hopeful as it’s not the worst injury.
“If you had to have an injury, it’s the best one to have. I’m a lot more confident with a suspensory than a tendon.”
Depending on the rate of healing, Dux expects Argyle to be sidelined for three or four months.
“We’ll take it in baby steps. He’s confined to box at the moment with a small adjoining walk-in walk-out yard, enough space for him to move around without being stupid.
“When I’m happy with his improvement he can go out to a small paddock.
“Watching him wander around you wouldn’t know he was sore. He seems a million dollars and he’s still in charge when you walk him.”
Dux said Argyle had done well in recent months, consistently running times little inferior to the free-for-all pacers in Queensland.
“He might not have the acceleration of the free-for-allers but he’s strong enough. Hopefully we can get another couple of preps out of him.”
Argyle banked A$46,250 this last prep, taking his career record to eight wins from 48 starts for A$102,919.
Captain Nemo … lines up from the outside of the front line on Saturday night.Stablemate Captain Nemo is in the early stages of a new prep and Dux said he’s been having trouble getting races for him.
“He was balloted out last Saturday, his race didn’t go ahead on Tuesday, and now he’s got barrier 12 on Saturday night.”
Captain Nemo takes on a strong and even lot in the band 5 second race and was luckless in the random draw, landing the outside of the second line.
“We can’t make too much happen from that alley. We’ll need something to go our way in the running. But I’m more than happy with him - he’s come on really well since his first-up run, he’s felt really good in training.”
The record book shows Captain Nemo beat only two home on April 6, just under 22 metres from the winner Amami, but that hardly reflects the merit of his effort.
Captain Nemo, back among the tailenders from a wide gate, was clocked over his last mile of the 2138 metres in 1:55.99, home in 57.46 - and he covered an extra 36 metres in the running.
Amami clocked an almost identical 1:56.02 and 56.94 home.
“It wasn’t a bad run and, while it’s very hard to predict how things will pan out on Saturday, he’ll run a race, regardless of the draw.”
Captain Nemo races at 7.54pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
Prince Lincoln spearheads record-sized team for Lincoln Farms at Cambridge on Friday
Ray cautions punters with no lead this time for Jekyll and Hyde colt Prince Lincoln
Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
