Everything looking good for Argyle’s comeback tonight but it’s steady as she goes

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.