Captain Nemo is brave in staving off The Peacemaker in his last visit to Cambridge. PHOTO: Chanelle Lawson.
Captain Nemo well placed to salute the judge again at Cambridge on Thursday night
By Barry Lichter • 27 January 2021
From the pole position improving pacer Captain Nemo looks the one to beat in the eighth race at Cambridge on Thursday night.
Captain Nemo ran a good fourth at Auckland last week, where he has previously struggled going right-handed, and has an excellent record at Cambridge with two wins, a second and a fourth in strong Sires’ Stakes company from only four starts.
“We took the spreaders off him last week at Auckland and he didn’t touch his knee but he’s obviously better left-handed at Cambridge,” says Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green.
“He’s definitely the one to beat from that draw.”
Captain Nemo scored on his last visit to Cambridge two starts back when, after sitting parked early, driver David Butcher took him to the front 1200 metres from home.
Though challenged hotly in the run home, the Captaintreacherous three-year-old responded bravely to stave off The Peacemaker by a neck.
In his previous start he ran second at Cambridge to Dixie Reign, looping the field to sit parked from the 900, while the leader was gifted soft sectionals in front.
Gareth Paddison with his gift horse Captain Nemo.Green expects the powerfully built Captain Nemo to keep improving with racing and the quality of the field he meets on Thursday is well down on that at Auckland last week when former southerner Makara paced the mobile 2200 metres in 2:41.8, excellent time for a low grade.
Captain Nemo had to run only 2:44.2 to win at Cambridge at his previous start.
Captain Nemo is raced in partnership by Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street with the Green Machine Syndicate, Grant Dickey, Peter Dougherty, Ian Middleton and accomplished golfer Gareth Paddison who was gifted a share by the Streets after finishing second in the Wairakei Invitational last year.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 2: Jessie Lincoln
5.25pm
“This is her first run back and first at the Park but I’m expecting her to be very competitive. She ran a nice trial and she seems pretty good. I think she’ll be in the money. She’s a much stronger individual after her break - the big ones tend to take a little longer to make. I like her. She’ll be winning races for sure.”
Race 4: Johnny Lincoln
6.16pm
“We’re testing the water with him but he’s a proper racehorse and, drawn one, he won’t be far off them. I can’t see him beating those others but he’s a little tradesman who is a worthy candidate for the race.”
Race 4: Lincoln Wave
6.19pm
“You just have to forget about his last start because of the puncture and assess him on the previous two runs. We’re not expecting a huge effort from him - he’s on his way back up after a five-week break and there’s a fair bit of improvement in him. But I think he’s a very nice horse and I’m not afraid to front up to the good ones with him. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he got into it, even from five. We still don’t really know what we’ve got with him. But whatever he does on Friday night will tidy him up for the next one.”
