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Swollen legs and high temperature ruin Tommy’s Albion Park comeback

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.

Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Tuesday at Addington

Race 9: Debbie Lincoln
4.03pm

“She’s drawn out but I think she’s got the gate speed to be put into the race. You’ve got to be handy to beat the good ones and we don’t want to be stuck behind some of the others. The one drawn two inside us, Arafura, looks the one to beat but Debbie is as good as anything in the race in my opinion. It’s not going to be easy but I’m hopeful. She’s done well down here and is in good shape.”

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Friday night at Cambridge

Race 5: Im Not The Maid
6.17pm

“The draw helps and while she’s very honest she still needs to improve. Gary Hall said she was a bit stop-start last time but he cut corners and wasn’t too far away at the finish. He reckoned his toe rope broke at the top of the straight.”

Race 8: Lincoln Maree
7.49pm

“She showed no speed when resuming and it’s hard to see her playing a part in this.”

Race 8: Lincoln Downs
7.49pm

“She went the best of them last time, was hampered turning or home, and could improve.”

Race 8: Jessie Lincoln
7.49pm

“She’s a big filly but so far, so good. There are a few negatives, like the second row draw and it being her first time under lights, but I think she could go quite well. It’s not a wonderful lot against her and she’s training well.”

Race 8: Lincoln’s Spice
7.49pm

“She over-raced early first-up and burned herself out. She’s a delicate little thing but we’ll put some plugs in her this week. Last time in I thought she could be the best of them. Whether the others have caught her up or she’s gone backwards I don’t know.”

Race Images - Harness