Don’t be fooled by laid back Captain Nemo - he’s far from done after Albion Park hat-trick
By Barry Lichter • 9 October 2021
Trainer Mark Dux has some good inside info for you on Captain Nemo.
While Lincoln Farms’ three-year-old notched a hat-trick at Albion Park on Friday night Dux says many people might have walked away thinking because he nearly got beaten he would not progress much further.
“But he’s very deceptive because he gets away from the pack and relaxes. He doesn’t want to run away - he’s happy to win by only half a length.
“Another lap and they wouldn’t have beaten him last night. It’s not a nice feeling when he switches off 30 metres from the post and you think, uh oh, he’s going to get run down.
“But when they get to his saddle you can feel him lift again and you know there’s more there. He put them away easily last night. He has a good will to win.”
Captain Nemo advanced three points to a 76 rating with his latest win but Dux says he has a long way to go before he reaches his mark.
“He’ll be a 100 rater by the time he’s done. We haven’t begun the Saturday nights yet where we can race him in the metropolitan races, the band races that Tommy Lincoln has been in.
“But I thought I’d run him through the grades before that. On Saturdays you go up five points.”
Dux has two options for Captain Nemo next week, either another Friday race or a three-year-old event on the Saturday night which might not get off the ground.
Mark Dux will have to relinquish the reins on Captain Nemo next week. PHOTO: Dan Costello.But wherever Dux chooses he will have to sit this one out after copping a 12-day suspension last night for an incident early in the race.
When Dux moved out on Captain Nemo to jump on the back of the three wide line, the driver in front grabbed hold, and he quickly moved back in, but not before the driver behind, Peter Grieg, had started to take up his spot on Beef City Blaze, who galloped when contacting his sulky.
Though Dux has won three straight on the horse since taking the reins, he says Captain Nemo is not hard to drive, you just have to understand his MO.
“But I’d actually like to see him in a race where they go crazy and he can sit back and attack late.”
Dux reports Captain Nemo pulled up well again after the race - “he’s in his paddock enjoying himself.
“It’s nice when you get horses going well for the owners. And he has plenty more wins in store.”
Having the time of his life following Captain Nemo is one of the partners Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street took in on the horse, well known golfer Gareth Paddison.
The Streets gifted Paddison an all expenses paid 10% share in the Captaintreacherous colt after he finished runner-up in the Wairakei Invitational pro-am at Taupo, which they sponsored in 2020.
The Streets’ other partners are the South Island’s Green Machine Syndicate, Grant Dickey and Ian Middleton.
With four wins in Queensland now, Captain Nemo’s record reads eight wins and seven placings from 37 starts for $69,565 in stakes.
More news in Harness
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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.”
