Argyle’s foot looking better but Mark will be happy to see him just hit the line on Friday

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.