Pacifico Dream nabs a game Argyle right on the line at Albion Park last Saturday. Always Smokin is making good ground for third.
Aaargh, pipped on the post, but from the pole Argyle can make a big splash this week
By Barry Lichter • 28 March 2024
Everything sets up beautifully for Argyle at Albion Park on Saturday night and not even Queensland’s big wet is expected to stop him from getting a major slice of the prize money.
Trainer Mark Dux says it’s hardly stopped raining since Argyle went down by a lip last week, collared right on the line, the conditions forcing him to have an easy week’s training.
“A lot of people didn’t work their horses on Tuesday morning but I’m not worried about Argyle as he’s been racing week in and week out.”
Argyle still exercised, Dux able to trot horses on his walker, enough to keep them ticking over.
“The amount of rain we’ve had this year is ridiculous but everyone is in the same boat.”
Argyle showed how hard fit he was last Saturday night when he faced the breeze throughout, as Dux predicted he most probably would, and was in front until the last stride, when the favourite Pacifico Dream nabbed him half a head.
“I thought he had it - he was caught virtually right on the line. It was just unfortunate the favourite got the perfect trip behind us.”
Argyle, only the fifth favourite who was paying $4 for a place on early fixed odds, combined with third-placed Always Smokin for a $50 trifecta, again confidently tipped by Dux as the likely result.
There’s no Pacifico Dream this week, only Always Smokin, and with Argyle landing only his second pole position in 16 months in Queensland, Dux is understandably bullish about his chances.
“Hell go into the race as one of the favourites for sure and he’ll get a nice trip whether we lead or trail and he should finish top three again.
“We’ll come off the gate well and hopefully be good enough to hold Alta Magacian beside us. But even if he crosses us, that’s not a bad scenario, as he’s a decent horse who should get us to the corner.
“I reckon Argyle would be better in the lead - that way you’re out of trouble and you run your own race at your own speed. If you’re trailing and the leader gets tired, it can be a bad spot.
“But I wouldn’t think Alta Magacian would tire - he won when he led a couple of weeks ago and is one of the major chances on Saturday.”
Trailing Alta Magacian would also make it harder for Stormtide to win, as he’d be trapped three deep behind Argyle.
Dux isn’t sure Always Smokin can cross his two main rivals at the start but his consistent formline suggests he’ll again be hard to beat. He closed resolutely last week behind Argyle after having to make his run four wide on the home turn.
Argyle races at 10.09pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
Prince Lincoln spearheads record-sized team for Lincoln Farms at Cambridge on Friday
Ray cautions punters with no lead this time for Jekyll and Hyde colt Prince Lincoln
Two (not so) secret weapons help Lincoln Farms to $29,287 payday at Cambridge
Deb dresses her latest ‘Copy’ weanling in white and he delivers a Major coup
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
