Captain Nemo has had the ultimate gear change and it is hoped he will race better as a gelding. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.
Captain Nemo torpedoed astern leaving Argyle to chase the diamonds at Albion Park
By Barry Lichter • 5 May 2023
Captain Nemo doesn’t realise it yet but he came back from the vet clinic yesterday minus some extraneous gear.
The five-year-old earned a small reprieve from being gelded with a close second last month but Brisbane trainer Mark Dux finally called time on his days as a colt.
“There’s no benefit for him being a colt. He’s better off a gelding, he’ll be a better racehorse.
“We did it at the clinic in case something went wrong, as he’s an older horse, but all’s well. He got home yesterday afternoon and, while a bit stiff and sore, he was very bright and is eating well.
“He doesn’t quite know he’s a gelding yet, that will take a month to six weeks (when his testosterone levels drop).”
Captain Nemo has won seven races in Queensland for Lincoln Farms’ owners John and Lynne Street and their partners, often doing it tough, but lost form in the last four months and started to prove a bit of a handful.
“Hopefully he might turn the corner now and race like the Nemo of old.”
The newest stable recruit, Argyle, was gelded long before he transferred from Lincoln Farms to Dux and while his form has been patchy, it’s not through lack of trying, rather difficulty in finding the right race for him.
On Saturday night at Albion Park he looks to be up against it again, drawn badly in six against tough opposition.
“He has a shocking alley in a very strong race,” says Dux. “Some of these horses are going places.
“While he’s a nice horse, he’s not going to the top and you don’t win from bad draws unless you’re exceptional. You need the right trip when you’re going these fast times.”
Argyle paced a tidy 1:53.26 mile rate for 1660 metres last start but could finish only seventh behind Future Assured, who clocked a swift 1:51.3.
“I know he ran only seventh but I was really happy with the run. He was four deep from the draw then held up a couple of times.
“The winner is a nice horse but we ran second to it once so it’s not like we can’t go with it.” In his first start in the state last November, Argyle chased home Future Assured in the Group III Sunshine Stars Classic.
Dux can see Saturday’s race being run at another hectic clip with My Ultimate Byron again engaged.
“My Ultimate Byron could nearly lead the way it wanted to run last time, he couldn’t hang on to it.”
Dux says he’s really happy with Argyle and his recent work and, had he drawn closer to the inside, he’d have rated him some sort of a chance.
“From six you know you’re up against it though. I don’t expect him to win from there - he’d need a lot of luck and a good drive - but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him run well.”
Argyle races at 8.48pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
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Big-spending Mike Tanev snares The Rascal and he’s off to Canada next week
Dreams Of Eric goes from black and blue to blue and white, now for Harness 5000
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
