Mark takes a turn in the sulky behind luckless Captain Nemo at Albion Park tonight
By Barry Lichter • 24 September 2021
The outside of the second row is no fun zone to be starting from at Albion Park but at least trainer Mark Dux says Captain Nemo should be able to clear traffic from there tonight.
Dux will take the reins himself behind the horse in the third race after his luckless run last week when Paul Diebert was quizzed by stewards over why the hot favourite became buried three deep on the markers and was never able to secure room in the run home.
Diebert came out of the gate conservatively, conscious that when he lit the horse up early the previous week he over-raced terribly, was going backwards before the home turn and ran 51 metres last.
Trainer Mark Dux … “With average luck he’ll be right in the finish.”Diebert told stewards he thought he could secure the leader’s back without driving the horse hard but was unable to raise enough speed, was crossed by a rival, and became trapped on the inner.
“He’s still looking for a run,” Dux said today of Captain Nemo who ran sixth.
“I think he would have won easily, he was going half pace.”
Captain Nemo drops in grade tonight - last week he took on rating 70 to 85 rivals and tonight he is the highest rated horse in a rating 56 to 62 race.
“It’s not an overly hard field, it will only be the traffic that stops him. He’ll be a long way back early but at least he’ll have every chance to get going when he wants to.
“With average luck he’ll be right in the finish.”
Captain Nemo races at 9.40pm NZ time at Albion Park tonight.
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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.”
