Argyle is forced four wide turning for home on a fast sectional but keeps coming for Angus Garrard.
Argyle running the hands off the clock every week and he’s a top three chance on Saturday
By Barry Lichter • 21 March 2024
Trainer Mark Dux rates Argyle a top three chance at Albion Park on Saturday, the horse showing no signs of flagging on a weekly diet of tough runs.
“The hard runs will eventually catch up with him but at the moment he’s going super well and I think he’ll be thereabouts again.”
Dux says the sectionals Argyle is running don’t lie. Last Saturday night, starting from three on the second row, Argyle was forced to make a three wide move too early when the one-one horse stopped in front of him a long way from home.
Covering extra ground on a fast 26.8 quarter would have finished most horses but the tough son of Bettors Delight kept coming, running closing sectionals in 26.75 and 27.65 to be only 8.3 metres from the winner The Tax Cullector.
The effort had plenty of merit given the winning mile rate of 1:52.5 and the fact Argyle, forced four wide turning in, covered 22 metres extra, the most in the race and 18 metres more than the winner.
“It seems funny clocking a 54.4 last half and running only fifth. Angus (Garrard) said he went terrific but it was just an impossible task having to pull out that early.
“That’s a decent run by any measure and he’s doing that every week. A lot more horses than you think are running halves like that here and not earning money.”
This week the band 5 action goes up from 1660 metres to 2138 metres, a distance which could even suit Argyle better because he’s so strong, says Dux.
“There’s a bit of speed inside us from the two (Despondent) and the three (Glover). Despondent normally takes a trail over 2138 so Glover is probably the leader and I can see us landing outside him.
“As long as we don’t have to burn too hard I don’t mind Argyle sitting there. He’ll poke along and be strong late.”
Another scenario which would favour Argyle even more is the chance Grant Dixon might come round on Pacifico Dream and give Argyle one-one cover.
“Pacifico Dream and Always Smokin are definitely the two to beat but I think we’ll go well again.
“Argyle is no good thing but he’ll be right there with them. He can win but it will come down to what happens in the run. If things go against him, he’ll keep whacking away. I’d put us in the top three chances.”
Argyle races at 9.07pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
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Ray’s comments
Wednesday at Cambridge
Race 3: Spiritual Bliss
1.10pm
“You can’t fault what she’s done up here and she’s trained on really well since Manawatu. She seems to have a good motor and can carry her speed a long way. It’s a bit of a step-up on Wednesday, and she’s drawn out a bit, but she should be right in the fray.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lover
1.45pm
“It’s a huge drop in class for him on what he’s been racing. The Purdon horse Crippa Max looks the one to beat on his trial but I’m picking we’ll finish in the first three at worst. He’s very honest and does nothing wrong.”
Race 6: Lincoln Downs
2.55pm
“She got skittled early last time when one galloped in front of her, and that didn’t help. It would be nice to see her get a good trip, with no incidents, and see what she can do. She’s no superstar but she tries hard.”
Race 9: Leo Lincoln
4.31pm
“It’s his first race for more than four months and I’m picking he’ll need the run. It was a toss-up whether we went to the trials, but he’d probably have had no opposition, so it made sense to drop him in here. He’s training well and seems in good shape but whatever he does, he’ll improve on.”
