Angus Garrard is back on Captain Nemo at Albion Park on Thursday. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
This morning’s work like the Nemo of old but Thursday’s draw is more than cruel
By Barry Lichter • 14 May 2024
Captain Nemo’s work this morning showed he’s back to his old self but trainer Mark Dux knows the horse is right up against it from a punishing second row draw at Albion Park on Thursday.
Dux knew all was not well with Captain Nemo when he dropped out badly in his last run 17 days ago, finishing 47 metres from the winner.
Though he had a tough trip, having to work hard to find the death seat, Dux said Nemo would still normally have fought for all he was worth.
“It’s not like him to stop like that so I knew straight away something wasn’t right with him. Maybe the bug he’d had earlier in the month was still lingering.
“But he felt like the old Nemo when he worked today. He dashed up nicely, and wanted to do it, and that’s when you know he’s feeling all right.
“We only ran up the straight but he ran a quick last furlong in 13.1 and felt real good.”
Dux says he hasn’t drilled Nemo since his uncharacteristic flop but all seemed to be good with the horse again who had been racing much better than his formline suggested.
That doesn’t mean, however, that Nemo will be driven hard on Thursday when he will be reunited with top young gun Angus Garrard.
“We won’t be out there to make something happen. We’ll drive him cold and, if we have some luck, great.
“It’s not a super hard field, and I could see him finishing really strongly, but it will come down to luck. Art Jester, alongside us, is one of the main dangers, so we might get a reasonable run into the race.”
Captain Nemo races at 5.43pm NZ time at Albion Park on Thursday.
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Our runners this week
Friday night at Cambridge
Lincoln Lover, Prince Lincoln, Debbie Lincoln, Lincoln Lou, Sugar Ray Lincoln (scratched).
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Nathan’s comments
Tuesday twilight at Manawatu
Race 4: Leo Lincoln
5.44pm
“Fergie’s drive on Sunday was perfect, you couldn’t ask for better, and he said the horse was doing his best work in the last 50 metres. Maybe with another 100 metres he might have got there. His gate speed is only OK so I can see him getting crossed here.”
Race 5: Kevin Kline
6.19pm
“Fergie said he did it easily on the first day, and the horse only did what he had to. He’s been racing much nicer horses at Auckland so it was good to get the win, hopefully it will boost his confidence. I’ll leave the tactics up to Fergie but I imagine he’ll probably do the same thing again, loop the field and outstay them.”
Race 6: Onyx Shard
6.54pm
“I was hoping she’d drop down a grade. She’s had some tough trips recently, having to do a lot of work, and it didn’t help being three wide for the last lap on the first day. Also they only walked and sprinted home. She could be better coming with one run at them.”
