Captain Nemo is feeling sharp for tonight’s A$30,000 Garrards Three-Year-Old Classic at Albion Park. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
Mark: Freshened Captain Nemo’s feeling very sharp for tonight’s Group III Classic
By Barry Lichter • 13 November 2021
Trainer-driver Mark Dux believes Captain Nemo will be right in the fight for the major money in tonight’s Group III A$30,000 Garrards Three-Year-Old Classic at Albion Park.
Dux gave Lincoln Farms’ gutsy pacer a week off racing to prepare for the event and he says it has had the desired effect.
“He’s been training really well and is feeling a lot sharper than he had been,” Dux said today.
“It’s a good race but I’m sure he’ll be right in the thick of things.”
There’s plenty of form in the 2138 metre race but Captain Nemo will line up the highest rated runner at R76.
“He’s done a super job to get where he has against older horses and tonight races only his own age group.”
Mark Dux has driven Captain Nemo five times for three wins, a close second equal and a fourth.Captain Nemo has drawn well in two, a draw from which Dux believes he can put Captain Nemo into a winning position.
“There’s good speed outside him but, as soon as the dust settles, I’m hoping to pull straight around them.
“I won’t try to drive him pretty, I’ll put him into the race and make our own luck. It will all depend on whether he can get to the chair cheaply enough and how hard the others have to work early.”
Dux can see General Montana’s gate speed taking him to an early lead but he expects the Chantal Turpin-trained Big Wheels to be the major threat.
“He was good first-up after doing a bit of work and sitting outside them and he looks the one to beat.
“But I’m sure Captain Nemo will race well, his times compare well with the others.”
Three of Nemo’s four Brisbane wins have been over 2138 metres and the fastest, four starts back, was in a 1:56.1 mile rate.
Big Wheels’ best effort at the longer trip was when a 13 metre second to another race rival in Manila Playboy who rated 1:55 in winning the A$102,000 Qbred Triad Final in May.
The ultra consistent Manila Playboy, who has won eight of 15 starts, is fresh-up since June and has the outside of the gate to contend with.
Captain Nemo is well favoured in the early betting as a $3.50 second favourite behind Big Wheels ($2.90).
He boasts the consistent record of four wins and four placings from 12 starts in Queensland for Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street, Gareth Paddison, the Green Machine Syndicate, Grant Dickey and Ian Middleton.
Captain Nemo races at 9.42pm NZ time at Albion Park tonight.
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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.”
