Angus “The Kid” Garrard returns after winning on Captain Nemo at Albion Park on Tuesday. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
Whiz kid Angus Garrard lands his 500th winner on our own warhorse Captain Nemo
By Barry Lichter • 14 December 2022
He won’t be the best horse Angus Garrard ever drives but the Queensland whiz kid won’t ever forget his win behind Captain Nemo at Albion Park on Tuesday.
When the Lincoln Farms’ owned four-year-old led all the way to win his 11th race, he credited Garrard with his 500th driving success.
That’s a remarkable achievement for a 19-year-old who, when still at school at the age of 17 became the youngest driver in Queensland to rack up 100 winners in a season.
Trainer Mark Dux said his own thrill at scoring an overdue win with the horse was trumped by the sheer jubilation Garrard showed on returning to scale.
“Angus was very excited. He’s only a kid but he’s already driven quite a few winners for me.
Mark Dux … “Captain Nemo never does any more than he has to - he won’t ever win by five. You think you’re in trouble then you can feel him lift.”“Angus said he was never going to get beaten, even though the margin was less than two metres.
“Nemo wants to stay in front of them but he never does any more than he has to - he won’t ever win by five. He’s always been like that. You think you’re in trouble then you can feel him lift when they come at you - which is fine so long as it’s not too close to the post and he doesn’t see them in time.”
Yesterday, when Betterthandiamonds and Pete McMullen ranged alongside to exert pressure at the bell, Garrard said Captain Nemo was on a loose rein and he didn’t really know how he was travelling.
“But when he clicked him up at the half mile he knew he had plenty of horse.
“It was a good win in the end,” said Dux of Captain Nemo who rated 1:53.4 for the 1660 metres and paid overs at $14.
Captain Nemo’s form line might not look the best but Dux reiterated his only bad run this time in was when it was later discovered he was sick.
“When he’s on his game he never runs badly. What you see is what you get with him.
“He just hasn’t been getting the best of trips but you couldn’t have asked for a better trip yesterday.
Accomplished golfer Gareth Paddison makes friends with Captain Nemo, in whom he was gifted a share by Lincoln Farms’ owner John Street after finishing second in the 2020 Wairakei Invitational.“We didn’t expect him to lead but the others didn’t charge out like we thought they would. He came off the gate himself and got there without being asked to do too much.”
The Captaintreacherous - Arden Caviar gelding, bred by John and Katrina Price, will have his next start at Albion Park on Friday week, with the usual Saturday night programme shifting to a day meeting.
“He beat some pretty decent horses yesterday, the two favourites were band one and band two horses. Next week he drops back a bit to a band five race and I’m sure he’ll acquit himself well.”
Captain Nemo’s record now stands at 11 wins and 13 placings from 60 starts for prizemoney of $54,922 in New Zealand and another A$44,093 in Australia, taking the total to more than $100,000 for Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street, Gareth Paddison, the Green Machine Syndicate, Grant Dickey and Ian Middleton.
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Friday’s Lincoln Farms Franklin Cup all about the standing start manners of Aussie raider
Our runners this week
Tuesday at Cambridge
Colonel Lincoln, Onyx Shard, Commander Lincoln, Debbie Lincoln, Kevin Kline, Lincoln La Moose, The Big Lebowski.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 2: Commander Lincoln
5.51pm
“Back to Cambridge and the easier amateur ranks he can get some of it. He’s an honest little horse who pays his way.”
Race 4: Onyx Shard
6.49pm
“She’s a nice filly who is training really well and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her in the money in spite of the outside draw. She’d be one of the best in that field and is definitely an each-way chance.”
Race 6: Colonel Lincoln
7.39pm
“He hasn’t raced for nearly 21 months but his training has been good and he should go well first-up. He’s a beautiful, big horse who probably lacks a yard of speed to be a real super horse but he’s got everything else. I expect him to go well against this lot.”
Race 7: Lincoln La Moose
8.04pm
“He’s training well and has surprised us before, like when he won his first start at Cambridge like a monster after breaking on the first turn. It’s always the way when they win their first start - it makes things hard for them after that - but he’s travelling well now and is capable of being in it.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Lincoln Lou
7.09pm
“He’ll be relying on a heap of good luck from the second row. His last run was a non-event. The poor little bugger couldn’t have done a better job of finding trouble. He’s trained on all right.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.09pm
“He’s training really well and he showed last time what a big motor he had, losing all that ground early and still getting up to win. He’s not famous for his gate speed but as long as he gets away safely then Maurice can put him in the race at the right time. There are a lot of horses in there that aren’t that safe who could stand on their ear. Navigating through them is always a worry. He’ll need some luck but he could give them a fright.”
Race 6: Frisco Bay
8.05pm
“He obviously can’t beat Duchess Megxit or Jeremiah but if he gets a good trip he’s a chance of getting some money. Things didn’t suit him last time - being out three wide then going to the front. He’s so hot, he over-races. He goes best if he’s allowed to slop out and find the back of something, when he generally relaxes. Even if he got back a bit, that would be all right, so long as he gets sucked along.”
