Argyle is forced four wide turning for home on a fast sectional but keeps coming for Angus Garrard.
Argyle running the hands off the clock every week and he’s a top three chance on Saturday
By Barry Lichter • 21 March 2024
Trainer Mark Dux rates Argyle a top three chance at Albion Park on Saturday, the horse showing no signs of flagging on a weekly diet of tough runs.
“The hard runs will eventually catch up with him but at the moment he’s going super well and I think he’ll be thereabouts again.”
Dux says the sectionals Argyle is running don’t lie. Last Saturday night, starting from three on the second row, Argyle was forced to make a three wide move too early when the one-one horse stopped in front of him a long way from home.
Covering extra ground on a fast 26.8 quarter would have finished most horses but the tough son of Bettors Delight kept coming, running closing sectionals in 26.75 and 27.65 to be only 8.3 metres from the winner The Tax Cullector.
The effort had plenty of merit given the winning mile rate of 1:52.5 and the fact Argyle, forced four wide turning in, covered 22 metres extra, the most in the race and 18 metres more than the winner.
“It seems funny clocking a 54.4 last half and running only fifth. Angus (Garrard) said he went terrific but it was just an impossible task having to pull out that early.
“That’s a decent run by any measure and he’s doing that every week. A lot more horses than you think are running halves like that here and not earning money.”
This week the band 5 action goes up from 1660 metres to 2138 metres, a distance which could even suit Argyle better because he’s so strong, says Dux.
“There’s a bit of speed inside us from the two (Despondent) and the three (Glover). Despondent normally takes a trail over 2138 so Glover is probably the leader and I can see us landing outside him.
“As long as we don’t have to burn too hard I don’t mind Argyle sitting there. He’ll poke along and be strong late.”
Another scenario which would favour Argyle even more is the chance Grant Dixon might come round on Pacifico Dream and give Argyle one-one cover.
“Pacifico Dream and Always Smokin are definitely the two to beat but I think we’ll go well again.
“Argyle is no good thing but he’ll be right there with them. He can win but it will come down to what happens in the run. If things go against him, he’ll keep whacking away. I’d put us in the top three chances.”
Argyle races at 9.07pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
