Swollen legs and high temperature ruin Tommy’s Albion Park comeback
By Barry Lichter • 21 January 2022
The much anticipated return to the track by Tommy Lincoln has been delayed after the horse came down with a virus this morning.
Trainer Mark Dux was confident he had Tommy Lincoln primed for a bold run at Albion Park on Saturday night, after an absence from the track of three months.
But the horse’s legs were all swollen this morning and when Dux took his temperature it was an alarming 102 degrees.
The symptoms are exactly the same as those that struck stablemate Captain Nemo 10 days ago.
“I had to give him some bute to get his temperature down and if it follows the same course as Captain Nemo it could spike again in a day or two.”
None of the other 20 horses at Dux’s Woongoolba stable, 40 minutes south east of Brisbane, are ill and the trainer believes it could be a case of the Kiwi horses having no immunity to the bug which does the rounds at the same time each year.
“It’s strange it took him 10 days to pick up what Nemo had but it’s a common enough virus and shouldn’t take long to settle down. I only had to give Captain Nemo a week off.”
Dux says it’s just annoying that after 10 weeks work and two trials he had Tommy Lincoln ready for a big race on Saturday night when he had drawn to lead a $20,000 race.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 5: Lincoln Lover
6.49pm
“You can’t fault what he’s done in his last four starts - he hasn’t missed a cheque. He’s raced at Auckland before as a two-year-old against good horses so it shouldn’t be too daunting for him. He’ll go an honest race, it’s just whether he’s good enough.”
Race 7: The Night Fox
7.57pm
Nathan Delany: “He had to trial on Tuesday after hitting the gate and breaking at Cambridge and I was happy with how he went. He ran Dear God to half a length in 2:38, and got home in 27.3. I’ll tell Harry to have one run at them and he should beat them for speed. Hopefully they run along a bit and he’ll sprint straight past them.”
Race 7: Lincoln Maree
7.57pm
“She lacks a bit of speed but she’s a rough chance.”
Race 8: Lincoln Linda
8.24pm
“It’s her first start for five months and she hasn’t trialled but she’s training well. She has plenty of ability and there’s nothing wonderful in the race. In the past she’s been her own worst enemy, a lunatic at times, but she seems more settled this time in. You could say I’m hopeful more than confident.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.24pm
“She has a bit of speed. She hasn’t been strong but seems to have developed a bit more this time in and is training quite well. I don’t think there’s much between her and Lincoln Linda.”
