Captain Nemo … looks a class above his rivals on Thursday night. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.
With a better draw, Captain Nemo’s set to make amends at Cambridge on Thursday
By Barry Lichter • 13 January 2021
The barrier draw beat Captain Nemo last week at Cambridge but he looks very hard to beat there on Thursday night from a better alley.
Lincoln Farms’ talented three-year-old is sure to touch a short price in the last race of the night when he leaves from five, a far more competitive position than the outside of the arm.
Captain Nemo didn’t help himself by scoring up greenly last week and was forced to make a mid-race move three wide from the back to park 850 metres from home.
He fought bravely in the run home, holding off two challengers for second, but was no match for Dixie Reign, five lengths behind at the line.
Trainer Ray Green says Captain Nemo clearly stands out on Thursday in a lowly rating 40 to 47 race.
“He’s in with average horses and on paper he looks the one to beat. He’s getting fitter and fitter with each run and it’s not a stellar bunch of animals he’s up against.
“He’s a serious winning chance.”
While Captain Nemo has won only one race, at Cambridge, he has regularly taken on the best age group horses in the country and Green believes he will develop into a more than useful type for part-owner and noted golfer Gareth Paddison.
Brodie Lindenny … finally coming to it.Brodie Lindenny has taken much longer than Captain Nemo to develop but makes an overdue debut in the second race.
Green says the Bettor’s Delight three-year-old has taken time to come to it but had finally “put his hand up to say ‘I’m ready’. “He’s very green but he’s got to start somewhere and he’s improving all the time.
“And if he goes as well as he did at the workouts last week he can be in the money.”
Brodie Lindenny, one-one early, went to the lead when left parked and despite racing a little greenly at times put up a good fight when challenged hard 500 meres out by Commander Cathy. Beaten a neck, but well covered, he ran his last 800 metres in 58.7, with the 2050 metres run at a mile rate of 2:03.2.
Green believes Brodie Lindenny, drawn the pole on Thursday, has enough gate speed to hold his own at the start.
“I don’t know how bad the others are but he’s capable of running a place in that field.”
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
4.52pm
“She did a good job last week at Auckland. Throwing her in the deep end seems to have toughened her up a bit. She’s getting stronger all the time. This is a big drop in class and she’s a chance from a better gate (three).”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.20pm
“If the real Prince turned up he’d absolutely be hard to beat. If he leads, as he should do from two, he’s a different horse.”
Race 3: Major Copy
5.54pm
“Maurice just nursed him around on debut. He was stepping over tyre marks on the track so he didn’t want to launch him into the open too soon. We’ll put a shadow roll on him this time to stop that and I can see him going a lot better from the inside draw.”
Race 3: Jessie Lincoln
5.54pm
“I’m not saying she can’t win but it will be hard for Fergie to find a good trip from the draw. She’ll need a lot of luck but she can be right in it if things go her way as she’s training well.”
Race 5: Lincoln Dealer
6.49pm
“He’s been a slow developing horse and you can’t drive him pretty, he won’t let you, as he’s a bit of a hot head. Maurice will launch him and see where he ends up.”
Race 5: Spirit Of God
6.49pm
“She got tired late last time and started hanging a bit (hitting a marker) but I thought she went OK. She did a bit early (from a wide draw) and was still there at the finish so she’s going to win a race. You never know with second line draws but it’s usually a decent impairment.”
Race 7: Lincoln Maree
7.40pm
“She never runs a bad race. She has a big motor for a little filly and should be right in the fray.”
Race 7: Angelic Copy
7.40pm
“Maurice said she foundered a bit when they took off, and got three or four lengths behind, but she didn’t lose any more ground after that and held her place. So the run wasn’t as bad as it looked and she’ll be improved.”
Race 8: Lincoln Wave
8.14pm
“It was a non-event last time (from a stand) and he’s a good horse who will be vying for the lead from five and deserves to be favourite.”
Race 8: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.14pm
“Peter (Ferguson) said he didn’t feel as sharp last week as in the past so I’ve given him a little freshen-up with a light week and he should go better.”
