Captain Nemo finishes strongly for a close sixth on a rain-sodden Albion Park.
Forget the form line, Captain Nemo can run top three tonight with an ounce of luck
By Barry Lichter • 24 May 2024
His form line of 0006 might look bleak but trainer Mark Dux points to other numbers that give a better guide to Captain Nemo’s chances at Albion Park this evening.
It’s the sectionals the horse ran at his last start that Dux says make Captain Nemo a top three chance at lucrative odds in the last race.
On a rain-sodden track, Nemo finished on strongly to be only 8.4 metres from winner Art Jester, despite being forced to make his three wide run earlier than driver Angus Garrard wanted when a rival stopped in his face.
The horse clocked closing sectionals of 28.91 and 27.46, covering an extra 32 metres in the run, each quarter only one hundredth of a second slower than the winner.
Nemo was also clocked to run the fastest middle half in 59.2.
Drawn three on the second row, Dux knows Nemo will need the right tempo up front to get into the race.
“If they go stupid early, and we can get a nice tag into it, we won’t be far off. Parama, who has drawn inside us, might get going and take us into the race.
“We have to drive him quietly, we can’t be trying to make things happen every week or we’ll stuff him.
“We need him to pull up sound, come home in one piece and then he’ll be a chance again next week.”
Dux says Western Arterra, drawn two, is the obvious favourite after his strong-finishing recent efforts. But Nemo, the third highest rated horse in the race, needs only an ounce of luck to get some of the money.
“He’s trained on well and I have nothing to complain about.”
Captain Nemo races at 7.25pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday night.
More news in Harness
Hubby nearly in the dog box after Tyson delivers Debbie a Golden Gait knockout blow
Debbie lands Golden draw at last in her bid to give Sampson a haircut at the Park
Spiritual Bliss and Lincoln Maree add to Lincoln Farms’ gallery of Manawatu heroes
Video clue on why Lincoln Lover is tipped to go boldly fresh-up at Auckland on Friday night
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 3: Lincoln Downs
6.22pm
“She got home really well on the second night at Manawatu and gets a good draw here. There’s not much exposed form in the race so it’s hard to know how she compares but she’ll win one.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Debbie Lincoln
7.01pm
“I thought she went super again last week with no luck and we’ve got a decent draw for a change so you have to like her chances. She’s been getting in on the corners, so we’ve added a Murphy blind.”
Race 3: Tyson
7.01pm
“I was impressed by the way he hung on to Captain Sampson and Greased Lightnin last week. They’re strong sprinters and it was only a sprint up the straight. He’ll need things to go his way from six.”
Race 3: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.01pm
“It was his first run for a while last week and he probably needed another trial. But we thought we might as well race him to set him up for this week. The outside draw of eight doesn’t help.”
Race 9: Lincoln Lover
9.55pm
“He’s not as sharp as our other two but he’s a game little bugger. He’ll win races for sure.”
Race 9: Prince Lincoln
9.55pm
“I thought he went really well last week. He’d had only one trial and was a bit fresh so it was understandable that he got tired the last bit. That will tighten him up and I’m expecting him to race well. He’s trained on well since.”
Race 9: Johnny Lincoln
9.55pm
“Prince has the wood on Johnny but he’ll still go well. He found the line well last week. It was his first run for a while too, and his first as a gelding.”
