Captain Nemo (pink saddlecloth) rushes home for a close fifth when clear late last start.
Captain Nemo running fast sectionals and just needs some luck from dreaded outside draw
By Barry Lichter • 2 October 2023
Ignore the 3965 form line - Captain Nemo needs only a little luck from the outside of the gate to win at Albion Park on Tuesday evening.
The Captaintreacherous five-year-old gets into the sixth race as the highest equal rated horse and his recent sixth and fifth placings hide some fast sectionals.
Two starts back, when driven by 21-year-old claiming junior Paige Bevan, Nemo went back from the outside gate and came from well back for fifth, running the fastest middle 800 (57.52), the fastest last 800 (55.92) and fastest last 400 (27.77).
And last week his fifth was also much better than it might appear on paper, when he started from the inside of the second row for 16-year-old claimer Layne Dwyer.
Nemo’s sectionals were again right up with the dividend-payers when after being trapped four deep on the pegs, he angled out in the run home, doing his best work when clear to be just 4.4 metres from the winner who clocked a fast 1:52.9 mile rate.
Nemo’s only disappointing run in four starts back, says trainer Mark Dux, was when he was driven hard, three wide to the death seat at the bell.
“He’s going way better when we go back and drive him quietly and that’s what Angus (Garrard) will do on Tuesday.
“It will all depend on how hard they go but he should be hard to beat. His last two runs have been very good and I really think he’s right up to (winning) it. His work has been terrific and I’m really happy with him.
“It’s not a bad race by any stretch but with a bit of luck he’ll be right in it.”
Dux rates second line runners Amami and Rocktagonal hard to beat, along with the pole runner and likely pacemaker Luvbite who, while a serial placegetter, won two starts back when able to lead.
Captain Nemo races at 6.07pm NZ time at Albion Park on Tuesday.
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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.”
