Flat tyre no trouble to tough Captain Nemo at Redcliffe - he still kept finding for Dux

Captain Nemo might have won by only a head at Redcliffe tonight but he did it dragging a flat tyre down the home stretch.

And trainer-driver Mark Dux reported that while having his wheel smashed from behind on the home turn slowed him down a little, the result was never in doubt.

“All I had to do was dash him up the straight - the last furlong was really quick - but it was like a trial for him, just a nice little run.

“It might have looked like those other two horses were reeling him in but another furlong and he still would have been in front. He pulled up like he hadn’t gone round.

“He only does what he’s got to do. He doesn’t beat them by five lengths - he’s happy to win by a head - and I wasn’t out there to kill him.”

Just short of the line and Mark Dux and Tommy Lincoln, outer, are about to get the better of The General.Dux says he’s confident Captain Nemo has the game to go through the grades.

“Everyone thinks he’s just a strong, tough horse but he’s got good speed too. I won’t be worried about meeting better fields, he’ll be strong at the end. And it won’t worry him if he sits back and they run real fast time.”

Dux’s plan to drive Captain Nemo hard from the pole and hold the front only just came off with Bonza Guy, lightning quick from the three gate, all but crossing him.

“But he’d have taken my legs out if he’d tried to come over,” Dux said.
“I was mindful of trying to get him to relax after that. When you do stir him up too much he can cut his air off. He was a little bit keen but he always travelled nicely.”

At the post Captain Nemo had a head on The General with another head to the late closing Obi One who enjoyed the one-one trail.

Captain Nemo cut out the 2040 metres in a mile rate of 2:00.1, with sedate sectionals of 31.8, 31.5, 29 and 28.4.

Turning for home and Tommy Lincoln is airborne, making his run very wide at the extreme left.Impressive splits

Dux is keen to see what splits stablemate Tommy Lincoln recorded earlier in the night when he finished strongly for Angus Garrard for a 12.4 metre fourth to raging hotpot Deus Ex.

“Tommy’s sectionals would be pretty good. The leader ran home in 27.7 and 27.6 and we’ve run the last quarter four wide round the bend.”

Dux said the run would tighten Tommy Lincoln up nicely given it was his first race for nearly five months.

“That run augurs well for the future. He just needs the right races - he’ll win money regularly and give him the right draws and he’ll win.”

Both horses will probably race again at Redcliffe next Saturday night, Dux saying no-one really knows when flood-hit Albion Park will be back in business.

“Fixing the track will be no drama - they could probably race on it next week - but all the infrastructure is buggered like the electrical circuits under the light poles and the timing mechanism.”

Getting the work done quickly could prove difficult with tradesmen committed to so many repair jobs in the area.