Captain Nemo meets weaker opposition but lands the outside alley at Albion Park on Friday. PHOTO: Royden Williams.
Mark calls for conservative tactics this time with bulky Captain Nemo at Albion Park
By Barry Lichter • 14 September 2023
Trainer Mark Dux is hoping a change of driving tactics will get Lincoln Farms’ Captain Nemo into the money at Albion Park on Friday evening.
Driven tough last time, making a sweeping run three wide to the death at the bell, Nemo punctured before the home turn, finishing 27 metres away in ninth.
It’s a formula Nemo’s drivers have used to good effect plenty of times in the past but, as Dux points out, now that the horse has advanced up the grades he’s having to go a lot faster.
“Previously he sat there on a 57 half no problem but now they’re running mile rates of 1:55 and faster for 2138 metres and the fractionals are so quick at the end of the race.”
On top of the early work, Nemo simply couldn’t cope with last week’s 55.9 last half.
“Now that he’s up in grade and they run so fast you can’t just think you’re better than them all the time and over-drive him.
“Some days when you’re fitter, yes. But it was only his second run back the other day. Angus (Garrard) said he travelled well but just got tired.”
Having nominated so many times, only to have the races not stand up, hadn’t helped Nemo either, Dux said.
“He’s way heavier than last time in - he’s bulked up a lot (despite being gelded).”
Dux said the plan this week would be to drive Nemo much more conservatively, a tactic which concession claiming driver Paige Bevan used successfully last time she drove the horse in April when second.
Using Bevan’s three point claim meant Nemo could squeeze into Friday’s up-to-rating 70 race, where he is the highest rated.
“We’ll go back, drive him quietly, try to get a tag into it, and hopefully see him finish off well.
“If they walk and sprint it will make it hard but those are the risks you have to take sometimes, you just bite the bullet and hope things pan out for you.
“The horse seems really good,” Dux said.
“His first-up run (when third) was super and everything (bar the outside draw) suits him on Friday.”
Captain Nemo races at 7.57pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Angelic Copy
4.53pm
“She’s done everything right and trialled really nicely. I think she’s forward enough to give some cheek. She’s only small. You like to think when you get a good two-year-old like her that they’ll get stronger and transition into a nice three-year-old but she hasn’t grown an inch. But she tries hard and enjoys being out there.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.28pm
“I’m looking forward to seeing him. You never really know ’til you get to the races but he’s trialled well enough to start and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went a good race, despite the draw. He’s a nice sensible colt who’s done nothing wrong and he could develop into a really nice three-year-old.”
Race 6: Lincoln Wave
7.22pm
“He was starting to get into the habit of switching off so we trained him in blinds this week and he went pretty well. He was good from a standing start at the trials with shorteners in and Maurice was actually quite bullish about his standing start manners and thinks that, in time, he’ll end up being a quick beginner. If he steps well, and can land in the first one or two, he’ll definitely be hard to get round.”
Race 6: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.22pm
“He’s not spectacular from a stand but he will get away, albeit sometimes a bit slowly. Lincoln Wave has more speed than him but if it comes down to a slugfest he’d be too strong as he’s rock hard fit.”
Race 8: Prince Lincoln
8.23pm
“The blinds go back on this week and if he steps and leads like he did three starts ago that would make him the one to beat. He showed with that win that he’s above average and will be a serious chance.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.23pm
“You could argue she’s a Cambridge horse but sometimes when you throw them in with the bear cats they lift their game and I thought she was really good here last week. Tony (Cameron) said she’d have finished a bit closer too if he hadn’t had to take hold of her close to home (when he ran out of room and hit a marker pole).”
Race 8: Sammy Lincoln
8.23pm
“We’ve got blinds on him this week. Harry said he lost concentration a couple of times last week, including at the top of the straight, and thought he’d be a bit more on to it with blinds on. I still thought his was the run of the race last time - none of the others could have done what he did - and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score.”
