Argyle outstanding chance from rare good alley, so too unlucky Nemo for 2023 farewell

Trainer Mark Dux is confident of closing out 2023 on a good note for Lincoln Farms with Argyle and Captain Nemo both looking strong chances at Albion Park on Saturday night.

Dux believes Argyle needs only average luck to win the third race, where he is clearly the highest rated runner and has his best draw for several months.

And he fancies Captain Nemo’s top three chances in the opener as well, the tough pacer drawn the pole and sure to get a sweet trip for top junior Angus Garrard.

Argyle will be having his first start since December 9, missing a subsequent start with a minor foot issue but, while Dux is not convinced he is totally over it, his work this week has been excellent.

“He trained really well on Thursday morning and it might be nothing but I just felt he was a fraction off after he came back in.”

Dux said to look at Argyle you’d never suspect a problem but he was all too aware that when horses have to stand around in wet conditions after persistent rain - it’s been another wet week - moisture can creep into little cracks in their feet and cause infections.

“But he seems good today and this race looks to be our best chance of winning for some time.

“We’ve finally got a draw (two) and I’m not too worried about the others.

“We’ll be aggressive at the start and, with average luck, he looks the winner. If nothing goes against him, he’s in the race up to his ears.

“He’s racing terrific, he’s getting better out of the gate all the time, and he’ll get a nice run.”

Argyle continued his hot run of form last start when, despite having to sit parked throughout, he still went close, beaten just five metres and a neck by the in-form Aardie’s Flash, who enjoyed a perfect trail.

It continued a nine-race, three month streak where he has racked up seven top three finishes, despite six poor draws.

Captain Nemo credited Angus Garrard with his 500th winner last December. He now sits on 679.Captain Nemo’s run of bad draws extends even further - in his last 18 starts, dating back to March, he has been served up seven second row draws, six times he has been on the outside of the front line, and twice started from six. Only three times has he drawn inside six.

Imagine, then, Dux’s surprise when the random barrier draw gave Nemo the pole, the first time in the two and a half years he has been in Queensland that he has been favoured with the Albion Park path to gold.

“It’s a good field for a band 5 race but in our favour is we’re going to get a nice trip. Bonnie Prince Louis looks the leader and we should be on his back so we’re a top three chance for sure.”

Dux says you can forget Nemo went round at his last start when nothing went right for claiming junior Layne Dwyer from gate six.

“Hindsight is a great thing but we pulled the wrong rein going forward the other day.

“He was caught four wide in a 26.9 first quarter then had to get going early when he was run up the track by a rival.”

Three wide to the death, with his first half of the 1660 metres in 56.24, Nemo was out of torpedoes before the home turn and finished 20 metres from the winner, after covering an extra 26 metres.

Leading junior Angus Garrard, with 679 career wins, is in the bike on Saturday night.

Captain Nemo races at 9.07pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.Argyle races at 10.12pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.