Everything looking good for Argyle’s comeback tonight but it’s steady as she goes
By Barry Lichter • 25 January 2025
Don’t expect too much from Argyle when he resumes from a long injury break at Albion Park tonight.
While trainer Mark Dux is pleased with the condition of the now six-year-old, he says he’ll obviously improve with a couple of runs under his belt.
“I’m happy with him and I’m sure he’ll run OK. But first-up, after so long, we’ll drive him conservatively.”
Dux says Argyle has come back well from the suspensory ligament injury which stopped him last April and, after two trials, there has been no sign of any problem.
“He feels good and he’s had a couple of quiet trials. He ran last of three in the latest but we didn’t knock him around.”
Argyle has won three of his eight races in Queensland. PHOTO: Dan Costello.That heat, eight days ago, saw Argyle (racing in Grant Dixon’s black and white chequers) finish 13 metres behind fast pacer Frankie Ferocious and just six metres behind Manila Playboy in a 1:54 mile rate, the winner home in 55.2.
Dux said despite looking for an easier option for Argyle’s resumption, none of the weaker mid-week races stood up.
Argyle is the second highest rated horse in tonight’s band 5 event and to get him into the race Dux had to engage a junior claimer in Alanah Richardson.
But while Richardson has 121 wins to her credit she’ll need plenty of luck from two on the second row to feature in the finish.
“It will come down to where he lands and what sort of trip he gets, but I expect him to race well.”
Argyle, who has won three of his eight races in Queensland for Lincoln Farms, clocked his best time in his second last start, with a mile rate of 1:51.9 for the 1660 metres.
Argyle races at 9.14pm NZ time at Albion Park tonight.
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Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
