Argyle in winning action at Cambridge but he is at a tricky place in the ratings now in Queensland. PHOTO: Chanelle Lawson.
Argyle over foot abscess but he has another bad draw to overcome on Tuesday evening
By Barry Lichter • 5 June 2023
Argyle had a good excuse for finishing only fifth at his last start but he’s still going to need a lot of luck to win at Albion Park tomorrow evening.
Drawn the outside of the arm in the eighth race, trainer Mark Dux says the horse will have to be driven quietly.
But he still expects Argyle to go a good race given what came to light after his last run on May 18.
“He was really sore the next day, he couldn’t walk.”
By the afternoon it was apparent an abscess was starting to blow out of his foot through a hole in the coronet band.
“He must have felt it during the race to be so sore the next morning. There was no indication of a problem before the race so obviously the run brought it out.”
The finding certainly helped explain why Argyle didn’t finish off his race as Dux was expecting.
“When he came out, and moved up really nicely, I thought he was going to be in the money.”
But when Argyle only battled up the home straight, at first Dux put it down to having his momentum stopped when a horse came out in front of him.
“Mathew (Neilson) just had to grab him for a moment and he couldn’t pick up again.”
The run took on an even better light when his foot problem surfaced.
Dux said it wasn’t like Argyle went badly - he still paced his last mile of the 1660 metres in 1:53.78 - pacing his first half in 56.91 and last half in 56.86.
Whether the horse will be quite as sharp on Tuesday is up for debate considering he missed a few days’ work while his foot recovered.
While you could never say for sure why the horse developed the abscess, Dux said it was interesting that his blacksmith noted he’d come across a number of horses with similar issues since the track surface at Albion Park was top dressed.
It was possible sand found its way into cracks in horses’ feet before it became packed down.
“I’m happy with him now but the run will do him good. We’ll drive him quietly early then play it by ear, depending on how he travels in the running.”
Dux said Argyle was in a tricky place in the ratings.
While he was the highest rated in Tuesday’s field, which was up to rating 70, it meant that under the preferential barrier draw he copped the worst alley.
To get relief in the draw he would have to race in a field of much better pacers, possibly up to rating 90.
Argyle races at 7.10pm NZ time at Albion Park on Tuesday.
More news in Harness
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Johnny Lincoln’s big ticker will stand to him in the States and Lover’s also sold to Aussie
No Jumals to beat this time at the Park so Ray’s looking for Lincoln Wave to roll in
Lincoln Linda best of the night at Cambridge - she has the engine to cross Soul Artist
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.44pm
“She did well here last time as she had to do a bit to get to the lead and she dug in and fought on. She’s certainly a chance if she repeats that effort.”
Race 4: Lincoln Linda
7.09pm
“I thought she went super last time after doing a lot of work. She can do that because she has an engine and is tough. She’s a bit one-dimensional - you have to turn her loose early - but from the two draw she should be able to lead and that’s where she does her best work.”
Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.34pm
“I think he’s a bit stronger after his spell. It’s not a great field - most will die on that mark - and I don’t see a problem with the standing start as he’s nicely gaited. He could be marginally unfit after three months out but he’s done quite a bit of work and I can see him going a half-decent race.”
Race 6: Lincoln Maree
7.59pm
“She had every chance last time but I can’t see why she won’t go well again. She’s as honest as they come and tries like hell.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
8.29pm
“You’d think he’d lead easily from the inside. He’s had bad draws and still got the money, so I’m sure he’ll go another good race. I’m surprised they sold him so cheaply. He’s better than people think.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Lincoln Wave
5.09pm
“With the trip he got in the Harness Million I thought he’d have run on a lot better. But he was still a bit short on fitness and sometimes we can expect too much of these horses, he was racing the best, after all. It’s a big drop in grade here and he’s a pretty fair horse.”
Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.09pm
“He’s an honest sort who’s in a good space but he won’t get a wonderful trip from the outside of the gate this time so I’m not holding my breath.”
Race 3: Sammy Lincoln
6.04pm
“He’s training down well but you never know what he’s going to do. You think you’ve got him sorted and he does something silly. But we know if the real Sammy turned up, he’d be very hard to beat as he’s got a lot of speed.”
Race 5: Prince Lincoln
7.05pm
“He’s another where you don’t know which one will turn up but we’ve gelded him since his last run, so we’ll see if that helps. He trained well the other day.”
