Captain Nemo is showing no sign of stopping for Paul Diebert after his enormous run last week. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
Captain Nemo can torpedo his Albion Park rivals again on Tuesday, bad draw and all
By Barry Lichter • 9 August 2021
Trainer Mark Dux is predicting another big effort from Captain Nemo at Albion Park on Tuesday, the horse no worse off for his jaw dropping win last week.
Dux reports Nemo felt sharp in his work on Saturday, just four days after staging one of the toughest wins seen at Brisbane headquarters for a long time.
Left three wide soon after the start he was taken back to the rear by driver Paul Diebert before mounting a solo three wide run 1200 metres out to park outside the two leaders at the bell.
When most horses would have run out of gas before the home turn, Captain Nemo kept finding and never flinched in the run home to take the 2138 metre race by 3.3 metres in a 1:57.6 mile rate.
A round from home and Captain Nemo is three wide outside the leaders pouring it on.The effort had commentator Chris Barsby fizzing over both the enormity and ease of the win.
“He pulled up really well and they’ll know he’s there again,” Dux said.
“The field is a wee bit harder this week - there are a couple in there that are going well - but I can’t see any reason why he won’t work his way around again.”
Captain Nemo will leave the gate from seven, the same spot as last week, so Dux knows he’ll have to do some work again to get near the pace.
And with a horse like five-race winner Our Action Man going so well, drawn perfectly in two, and capable of running time for trainer-driver Rickie Alchin, it won’t be easy, he said.
At his last start the American Ideal gelding began from seven, was three wide to the death, and beat all but warm favourite Bitcoin in a 1:57.4 mile rate.
But Dux has a lot of faith in his new charge for Lincoln Farms.
“I’d rather have a good draw than a bad one but he showed what he was capable of last week.
“I think he’s a great chance.”
Captain Nemo races at 6.12pm NZ time at Albion Park on Tuesday.
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“He was held up last week but still got home really well, hard on their backs and, with the right trip, he’ll be dangerous. But the race looks suited to a horse like Hooray Henry who, in a small field, can sit back and outsprint them.
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“Maurice was happy with her run last week and said she paced strongly through the line. From seven on the gate this week she’ll have to go back but I think she’s better coming from off the pace. She’s a good chance if she can get sucked into it at the right time.”
