Argyle will benefit from another conditioning run on Saturday night. PHOTO: Dan Costello.
Mark: Flat tyre no help to Argyle when resuming but he’s not ready to launch just yet
By Barry Lichter • 30 January 2025
Argyle didn’t beat a horse home when resuming at Albion Park last Saturday but he still earned a pass mark from trainer Mark Dux after carrying a flat tyre for the last 700 metres.
Dux had not been expecting much from Argyle in his first race for nearly 10 months after a suspensory injury but admits he first thought concession driver Alanah Richardson might have missed the boat at a crucial time.
“She had him ready to go, when (the heavily backed) Congo Line took off but you can see her look down at the tyre.”
Argyle battled away to the line, clocking 56.45 for his last 800 metres, and did not lose much ground on the leaders in finishing 17 metres from ex-Kiwi winner We Always Have Faith.
“I was more than happy with him through the run and he pulled up well, which is the main thing.”
Dux has replaced Richardson with another concession driver in Layne Dwyer this week, but not because she did anything wrong.
“She probably should have gone three fence early - if you’re not on the fence it’s so hard to win races, because they’re running such quick halves every week - but I’d have put her on again if she’d been driving at the meeting.”
Argyle is the second highest ranked horse in the field on an NR83 rating and gets into the band 5 race, courtesy of his junior driver.
Dux has confidence that Dwyer, 17, can do the job with 137 winners to his name.
“He’s driving plenty of winners but he’ll need luck from the bad (six) draw.
“He has no option but to go back, drive him quietly and finish on. The horse is not ready to launch and there’s quite a bit of speed inside him.”
Argyle races at 9.19pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
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Our runners this week
Friday night at Auckland
What’s Up The Hill.
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Nathan’s comments
Tuesday twilight at Manawatu
Race 3: Onyx Shard
5.09pm
“She’s working really well and, from the good draw, hopefully she can run a drum. The field’s not that much harder than the one she beat last time at Manawatu (when parked for the last lap).”
Race 3: Kevin Kline
5.09pm
“We’re very happy with him - he’s come back a better horse. He went well at Auckland last start and is working well. We’ll be looking to go forward from the gate and hopefully get a gun run through behind Onyx Shard. On ability, he’s the better chance of the two.”
Race 4: Leo Lincoln
5.39pm
“He stepped like a bullet in his first go from a stand here in March. I thought he’d do the same on the second day but he galloped. We’ve got an overcheck on and hopple shorteners on Tuesday so he should make a good beginning. If he can step and lead, then maybe take a trail, he should be hard to beat. He likes it down there where the track is quite soft.”
Nathan’s comments
Thursday night at Manawatu
Race 3: Onyx Shard
6.04pm
“I thought I had Kevin Kline covered on Tuesday when we got to the straight because she was really travelling but he kicked away on us. It would be nice if she can get out of the gate as well again - she has good gate speed - and, if she does, she can get some of it again.”
Race 3: Kevin Kline
6.04pm
“He was too good for them on Tuesday, thanks to a great Fergy drive, and he’s in the same field again this time. The extra distance and wide draw shouldn’t make much of a difference and he’s our best of the night.”
Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.02pm
“He’ll be hard to beat again if he steps like he did on Tuesday. The 10 metre handicap shouldn’t stop him. I think he’s even better if he follows something and the extra 500 metres isn’t a worry.”
