Argyle’s foot looking better but Mark will be happy to see him just hit the line on Friday
By Barry Lichter • 21 September 2023
Don’t expect any fireworks from Argyle when he resumes from a long spell at Albion Park in Brisbane on Friday evening, says trainer Mark Dux.
Lincoln Farms’ four-year-old hasn’t raced for three and a half months after an abscess destroyed much of the wall of his foot.
And, while he performed to the satisfaction of Dux in a trial last Friday, Argyle looked well short of race fitness.
“He trialled well enough but got a bit tired in the last 100 metres, which was only to be expected,” Dux said.
Argyle … last raced on June 6.The winner of the heat, former Kiwi Sirius, now called So Sirius and a newcomer to Queensland, motored the last 800 metres of the 1660 heat in 55.5 and 400 in 26.5, leaving Argyle out of breath 15 metres away in third.
“He’s done well since the trial but it’s not an easy race that he’s in and, from his second row draw, we’ll drive him cold, and let him hit the line.”
With regular pilot Angus Garrard committed to his father Daren’s horse, Back To Betoota, Dux has engaged Grant Dixon for Argyle.
“He’ll race well but he’ll be out the back and, because they go so fast here now, unless you get a decent trip you can’t catch them.
“If they’re running 55 on the fence up front you can’t catch them from back in the field. That’s why you see so many lead, trail, three fence finishes these days.”
Dux said while Argyle’s foot has grown down a lot during his break, it still looked “a bit average.”
Lincoln Farms’ stablemate Captain Nemo didn’t get a start on Friday so will be nominated for Tuesday’s meeting.
Argyle races at 8.18pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday evening.
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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.”
