‘We’ve found Nemo’, fizzes commentator, after enormous run by Lincoln Farms’ weirdo
About the only person who thought Captain Nemo could still win at Albion Park tonight despite being hung out three wide outside the leaders for the entire last lap was his former trainer Ray Green.
Back home in Pukekohe after a successful Brisbane campaign when Captain Nemo sat on the sideline there almost the entire time, Green watched the race with wife Debbie who, like most punters, declared he was history 600 metres out.
“But I told her he’d still win. He’s a strange horse with an unusual racing style and he loves a fight like that. He just sits outside them and says ‘stuff you’.”
Captain Nemo, now in the hands of Brisbane trainer Mark Dux, did just that, hitting the lead soon after turning for home and powering to a 3.3 metre win over Recipe For Dreaming.
The enormity of the win didn’t escape commentator Chris Barsby who noted the three-year-old ran a middle 800 metres in a sizzling 56.9.
“We’ve found Nemo,” Barsby said in reference to the Disney film Finding Nemo. “That was some win. He’s put them away easily.”
Green said he actually cursed driver Paul Diebert when he took the horse right back to the rear from his outside draw where he also copped a check from a galloping rival.
Captain Nemo toughs it out at Albion Park tonight after sitting three wide without cover for the last lap.“The horse has no gate speed but I thought he should have gone forward straight away. He mooches round, can sit two or three wide, doesn’t over-race, and worries them out of it.
“He just wouldn’t have understood what he had - that kind of run would put most horses to bed. But he’ll know the horse better next time.”
Green said Captain Nemo, who accompanied Copy That, American Dealer and Tommy Lincoln to Brisbane but raced only once, is capable of winning a lot of money in Queensland.
“He’s no champion but if he’s managed properly, and I’m sure he will be, he could win a lot of races.”
Green believed the horse hung so badly in his first race there in late June because he was hurting from tying-up.
“He has tied up on us in the past. Tie-up is a strange thing, nobody knows why horses do it and there are an enormous amount of theories about it. It could be hereditary. You just have to manage it.
“We changed his diet so he has no high energy feed at all. And he’s been trained out of the paddock for the last few weeks so he could mooch around a lot.
“He’s come right now and should be in for a good time over there. He’s better than what he’s shown.”
Tonight’s win was Captain Nemo’s sixth and earned $4568 for Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street and their partners Gareth Paddison, the Green Machine Syndicate, Grant Dickey, Peter Dougherty and Ian Middleton.
The Captaintreacherous - Arden Caviar colt started a $7 fourth favourite, and ran the 2138 metres in 2:36.3, a mile rate of 1:57.6.
More news in Harness
Cloud over Angelic Copy again - bug threatens to force her out on Friday night at Auckland
Phone home - ET trotter Whats Up The Hill blasts off with narrow Escape at Auckland
Ray needs good results from blood test and gear change to repel southern fillies’ charge
Fergie takes the initiative and Onyx Shard delivers again for the galloping buddies
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Nathan’s comments
Tuesday twilight at Cambridge
Race 2: Dreams Of Eric
4.53pm
“He’s drawn out a bit this week but I don’t think that will worry him too much. The driver’s pretty confident and we’ve got hopple shorteners on him to help him burn off the gate. Zac was pretty happy with his run last time. He only did what he needed to and there’s not much difference in the quality of the field. That one of Andre’s who beat him last time (St John Eight) is quite a nice horse who’d been racing well at Auckland.”

Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 3: Angelic Copy
6.09pm
Update: Scratched
“There is some doubt over whether she will start and we’re taking blood tomorrow morning to see how she is. We eliminated the tie-up problem but after she trained below par this week we took a blood and it showed she had a virus.”
Race 3: Lincoln Linda
6.09pm
“She’ll need a lot of luck from the outside of the second row. She was too fierce again last time, but I’m hoping the likely faster pace on Friday will suit her.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lover
6.40pm
“Lincoln Lover isn’t training as well as Prince Lincoln but he has the inside draw to help him. And he’s a tough little bugger who’s not one to shirk his responsibilities.”
Race 4: Prince Lincoln
6.40pm
“If I had to choose between them I’d say Prince Lincoln is the better chance. He’s training very well and he’d be a chance of getting some of it with luck from his wide gate.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.23pm
“I’m not holding my breath. He’s gone some handy races against the very best but he’s not in career best form. I’m just hoping the 2700 metres might suit him better. I think he might need a decent break.”