Captain Nemo, second from left, is racing far better than his form line suggests. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
Forget the form line, Nemo is in Saturday’s race at Albion Park ‘right up to his ears’
By Barry Lichter • 26 April 2024
Captain Nemo’s 00 formline might not instil much confidence but he’s in Saturday night’s race at Albion Park “right up to his ears”, says trainer Mark Dux.
“I rate him a good top three chance,” Dux said of the Lincoln Farms’ five-year-old who drops from a band 5 race to a much weaker field made up of up to rating 70 pacers.
Captain Nemo is rated 71, but gets into the sixth race courtesy of claiming junior Nathan Rothwell and what he does from the six alley could determine the outcome of the race, says Dux.
“I’ll leave it up to Nathan to decide, depending on how the horse feels, but I think he’ll probably want to run the way he’s been feeling in his work.
“I think maybe we roll the dice and take our chances. As long as he doesn’t have to burn stupidly off the gate, if he can find the top, they’ll know he’s in the race.
“Sometimes going forward from a wide draw can be your undoing and the only worry on Saturday is I’m worried Allmighty Max might try to hold from three. He won a trial the other day in 1:52.8.”
But Dux says if Captain Nemo goes back and they dawdle, like last week, his chances are nil.
When the leader ran an opening quarter in 32.1, and another in 30, Dux says that was the end of Nemo, who beat only one home.
Despite running good sectionals again - Nemo ran the fastest first half (60.93) and middle half (57.12) and the second fastest last mile (1.56.8), driver Adam Sanderson said he simply couldn’t get into the race.
“I told him to make sure you have him ready to go at the half. He came in and said he was ready but had nowhere to go. He had no choice but to go back to the inside and hope for luck.”
Rothwell will be having his first drive on Nemo and Dux says he’s warned the youngster the horse will feel like nothing in the warm-up and just flop around.
“If he’s still like that in the score-up I’ve told him to drive the horse quietly and, if he has to be the first to make a three wide run at the bell, sobeit.
“It’s a winnable race, I’m really happy with the horse.”
Captain Nemo races at 9.40pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
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Ray’s comments
Wednesday at Cambridge
Race 3: Spiritual Bliss
1.10pm
“You can’t fault what she’s done up here and she’s trained on really well since Manawatu. She seems to have a good motor and can carry her speed a long way. It’s a bit of a step-up on Wednesday, and she’s drawn out a bit, but she should be right in the fray.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lover
1.45pm
“It’s a huge drop in class for him on what he’s been racing. The Purdon horse Crippa Max looks the one to beat on his trial but I’m picking we’ll finish in the first three at worst. He’s very honest and does nothing wrong.”
Race 6: Lincoln Downs
2.55pm
“She got skittled early last time when one galloped in front of her, and that didn’t help. It would be nice to see her get a good trip, with no incidents, and see what she can do. She’s no superstar but she tries hard.”
Race 9: Leo Lincoln
4.31pm
“It’s his first race for more than four months and I’m picking he’ll need the run. It was a toss-up whether we went to the trials, but he’d probably have had no opposition, so it made sense to drop him in here. He’s training well and seems in good shape but whatever he does, he’ll improve on.”
