Argyle sails home to win at Albion Park but it’s been far from plain sailing for Mark

Trainer Mark Dux expects Argyle to work through the grades now that he is over all the problems that have kept him out of the winner’s circle for 12 months.

The four-year-old showed his form line to be all wrong when he came from well back in the field and exploded past his rivals to score at long odds at Albion Park tonight.

Starting eighth favourite in the field of 10, at $31, Argyle settled three back in the running line for driver Angus Garrard and, thanks to a solid tempo throughout, was able to reel in the leaders close to home, prevailing in a neck and half head photo finish.

Argyle’s mile rate of 1:54 for the 1660 metres confirmed the ability Dux has long believed he possessed, but has been prevented from showing by repeated injuries.

Argyle had only just joined Dux’s Queensland stable last November when, after running second in a Group III three-year-old race at Albion Park, his knee blew up.

“That took a few months to settle down and when he came back he was racing against Leap To Fame and a lot of other good ones.

“And then that abscess blew out of his foot, and who knows how long that had been festering?

Trainer Mark Dux wth Argyle after his win at Albion Park tonight.“When we peeled it back, it was right up to the hair line and took a long time to grow back. There’s still a part missing on the inside which we’ve covered with a patch.

“It hasn’t been plain sailing but the foot’s looking pretty healthy again and it will keep growing down so hopefully he’s over all that.”

Dux said the way Argyle had been training recently suggested he wouldn’t take long to strike form.

And even though he beat only one home first-up the previous week, driver Grant Dixon reported he was unlucky to have been held up a bit turning for home and simply couldn’t pick up quickly enough on a slick 55.8 last quarter.

“Grant said he felt like he’d follow good speed and at home he’s always felt like a decent horse to me.

“There were times when I’d see him at the races and wonder whether he was giving you everything he had but he’s always felt like he’d go through the grades.

“We’ll go to a Saturday night now and he’ll win an m0 easy, then we can take the next step.

“Angus said he travelled well the whole way tonight and it helped having the pace on so they came home in only 56.9, not 55, and it wasn’t mathematically impossible to catch the leaders.”

With quarters of 27.2, 29.8, 28.2 and 28.7, the leaders tired and Argyle’s late charge carried him to his sixth victory, celebrated by Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street and their partners, David Turner, Barry and Marie Jones and Friday Frenzy Racing, comprising Ian Middleton, Peter Jeffares, former All Black Bernie McCahill, Mike Ledger and Rob Redwood.

The Friday Frenzy group paid $26,000 for 20% of Argyle, donated by the Streets at a charity lunch in Auckland in November, 2020.

By champion stallion Bettor’s Delight, Argyle is from the same family as Lincoln Farms’ previous fine winners in Tommy Lincoln, Lincoln Road and Lincoln’s Girl and at $210,000 was the most expensive of the Streets’ buys at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka yearling sale earlier that year.