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 Cambridge
Race 2: Johnny Lincoln
5.39pm
“He didn’t do anything at Auckland last start but seems to go better left-handed and placed at Cambridge in his only start there.”
Race 2: Lincoln Maree
5.39pm
“Her driver (Harrison Orange) said she would have won last start had that horse (Mr Miki) not stopped in her face. The winner was gone by the time she saw daylight. She will just need some luck from the second row draw.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.39pm
“He should have won last start at Auckland but we’ve taken the blinds off on Friday night and, in a weaker line-up, going left-handed, we’ll see how he goes.”
Race 4: Spiritual Bliss
6.37pm
“I think the race will be won or lost soon after the start. It’s out of our control, we just have to hope she gets a run through and then I’m sure she’ll be hard to beat.”
Race 8: Lincoln Downs
8.40pm
“She’s got a little bit of lick but only has a short sprint, so timing is everything.”
Race 8: Lincoln Lover
8.40pm
“Being put in the race from the start last time obviously took a bit of the sting out of him. But at least there’s no chance that will happen this time from the second row. In his previous races he’d ducked for cover and got sucked along but he needs a decent tempo, he’s no sit-sprinter.”
