Improved barrier at least gives Nemo a chance but poor old Tommy’s out of luck again

Captain Nemo’s improved draw gives him a chance at Albion Park on Friday but it looks curtains again for Tommy Lincoln.

Trainer Mark Dux was hoping for better luck this week after terrible draws last Friday predictably saw both Lincoln Farms horses run 10th.

But while Nemo fared better in four in the fourth race, Tommy is again stranded at six on the gate in race nine, a strong open pace.

Last week as a last-start winner of a $20,000 race, Tommy was victim of the conditions which handicapped horses on earnings in their last three starts. This time, with a random barrier draw, he still came up with six.

“We’ve got no choice but to go back and drive him cold,” Dux said. “There’s too much speed inside him.”

Angus Garrard … no option but to go back on Tommy Lincoln.Dux said Tommy Lincoln simply had to do too much work early in his race last week - three wide to the death on a sizzling 27 first quarter and 56.2 first half.

It wasn’t surprising he was under pressure before the home turn after rejuvenated former Lincoln Farms hero Northview Hustler let rip in front and careered away to a 1:51.5 mile rate win.

Nemo going forward

Dux says while driver Angus Garrard will just have to go back and play it by ear on Friday, he himself can be more forceful on Captain Nemo.

“I plan to drive him up handy and I give him an each way chance. It mightn’t have looked good last week but he didn’t go bad, his last half was the same as the winner.”

Dux said he knew he was in trouble when the favourite Big Wheels was allowed to amble through a lead time in 39.1, and he saw the second favourite Watt’s Up Sunshine sitting outside the leader.

“He wasn’t going to hand up that position so I had to sit back. Otherwise I would have had to send him a long way from home, killed him and still got no money.”

Instead Dux was forced to improve wide around the home turn, a near impossible task.

“You just can’t make ground on them. As it was he clocked 55.12 and 27.88 compared with winner’s 55.06 and 27.86. A couple on the fence went a bit quicker, but nothing out wide was as good.

“When you get that far back it’s fine if they go crazy but if they don’t in these higher grades they can all run a quick last half and you can’t get into the race.

“He’s done well this week and he just needs an ounce of luck.”

Nemo’s task won’t be easy though as 16-win mare Pelosi is in form and perfectly slotted in gate two.

Pelosi, an Albion Park winner last Friday in a 1:54.4 mile rate and a 1:52.2 winner at Menangle before that, would be familiar to Kiwi punters after her spring campaign in New Zealand last year.

The mare did not win in five starts but ran seconds to topliners Darling Me in a 1:51.4 mile at Ashburton and Stylish Memphis in 1:55.8 mile rate at Addington.

Captain Nemo races at 3.33pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday.Tommy Lincoln races at 6.42pm NZ time at Albion Park on Friday.