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.
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Ray: Sammy Lincoln has ‘turned the corner’ and can go on with it on Friday night
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
