Fingers crossed for Tuesday when leg scan will reveal the extent of Tommy’s injury

It won’t be known until Tuesday how serious the injury is that has forced Tommy Lincoln out of Saturday night’s $50,000 Interdominion Consolation at Albion Park.

Trainer Mark Dux noticed damage to one of Tommy Lincoln’s front legs the morning after the third round of heats, when he died on a likely-looking home stretch bid to finish eighth.

“He has swelling in the leg which looks serious enough but until it is scanned on Tuesday we can’t define exactly what the problem is, but it’s either a tendon or suspensory ligament.

“There’s fluid in the leg like a tendon sheath is leaking but until the scan it’s only guess work.”

Dux says Tommy’s leg has always had a little puffiness in it, the result of wear and tear.

“But he’s raced a million times with it and it’s never worried him and we’ve never seen any change. “Hopefully what he’s done is not too serious. Today is the best it’s looked but I’m still not happy with it.”

Tommy Lincoln makes his run up the pegs for the minor money but weakened on his run.It’s a disappointing result for Dux who, for a few seconds early in the home straight last Saturday, thought Tommy was going to run right into the action from three deep on the pegs.

“It looked like he was going to run fourth at one stage but either he couldn’t quite run out that last 100 metres of the 2680 or he was feeling the leg.”

Tommy, a $151 outsider, ended up eighth but only 3.7 metres behind hot favourite Swayzee (fourth).

Dux would like to have seen Tommy take his place in the Consolation, where he had drawn to follow out hot favourite Cantfindabettorman, but he can now only rue the bad luck that has dogged the horse this season, a hamstring injury sidelining him for much of the year.

Niggly gate

Dux will look instead to Lincoln Farms’ ultra consistent Argyle to fly the flag in the opening race where only a niggly five gate is against him.

“I think he’s a really good chance but he’ll need an ounce of luck from that draw.

“There’s a lot of speed inside us. You’d think the one (Luvbite) will protect the fence and Docta Feelgood is very fast out. You just don’t know how hard they’ll go or how far.

“I guess Angus (Garrard) will just have to roll across on Argyle and play it by ear.”

Dux isn’t fazed by the fact So Sirius is a warm favourite, given he sat on Argyle’s back last time and beat him only a neck.

“Argyle went super sitting parked, he’s done well since and is looking terrific.”

Captain Nemo looked good winning three starts back but was a mysterious flop last start.Dux is not sure what to make of Captain Nemo’s chances in the second race, a heat of the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championship, currently led by Garrard.

Nemo gets experienced West Australian Emily Suvaljko, a 23-year-old veteran of 549 wins, whom he says is sure to do a good job.

But Nemo’s puzzling last-start seventh has left Dux unsure how to drive the horse from his good two gate.

“There’s no question he was disappointing. With the run he had he should have been right in the money but he was struggling on the bend.

“We did cop a lot of hot weather that week. Whether that knocked him around a bit I don’t know, but everything seemed to be OK.”

Dux says there’s good speed in the race but he’s not sure whether to forget the last run and drive Nemo strongly to try to cross the pole runner, or to take a nice trail and drive him cold.

“She might be best to drive him how he feels when he comes off the gate. If he feels strong, run the gate, if not, try to get a nice trip.

“The favourite (Aardies Flash) will be super hard to beat and the driver (Leonard Cain) knows him, having seen him race. They won’t be frightened to put him into the race.”

Argyle races at 7.22pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.Captain Nemo races at 7.49pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.