Angus Garrard is back on Argyle at Albion Park on Saturday night. PHOTO: Club Menangle.
Mark: How we drive Argyle on Saturday night is in The Kid’s hands - he’ll work it out
By Barry Lichter • 7 February 2025
Trainer Mark Dux will leave it to young gun Angus Garrard to decide whether to push the button early on Argyle at Albion Park on Saturday night.
Lincoln Farms’ comeback pacer has been driven cold by concession junior drivers in his first two runs back but on Saturday one of the state’s most exciting reinsmen will be back in the cart.
Angus ‘The Kid’ Garrard is only 21 but has already driven a whopping 877 winners and in a couple of weeks on his home course he will battle it out with some of the world’s best in the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship.
Garrard knows Argyle well, having been behind the horse in each of his three previous wins in Queensland.
“Having Angus back on helps,” says Dux. “He might think about rolling forward and it wouldn’t be a stupid idea.
“The worry is that in a small field, they’ll come out quick off the gate, take a spot, and nothing will move.
“I don’t see a lot of pressure in the race and if Hiranya gets an easy lead, and runs home in 55, it will make it harder. If you’re sixth in the running, that’s where you’ll end up.
“At least if you’re outside the leader you could finish top three. But I’ll let Angus work it out when they say go. He’s got enough speed to roll across them but it will depend on how many charge out of the gate.”
Dux knows something will have to go Argyle’s way if he is to feature in the race which, while small on numbers, includes some who have been racing in open class.
“It’s a good race but he’ll go well - I’m more than happy with him. His run the other day was decent. He travelled up really nicely and, when he was running a 27.96 last quarter, he was was six wide on the home.”
Argyle, who settled five back on the outer from his bad draw, was clocked over his last 800 metres in 55.2, finishing 12.6 metres behind upset winner Commodore Jujon.
His mile rate of 1:56.54 for the 2138 metres was little inferior to his rivals, despite travelling an extra 37 metres in the run, easily the furthest covered by any runner.
“He just couldn’t get into the race from where he was. And when Layne (Dwyer) dropped his hands halfway down the straight, the horse took it easy.
“We’re going nearly as quick as Menangle so we’re dependent on getting some luck. Hiranya is the one to beat as it will go forward and find the top.”
Argyle races at 11.59pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
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Ray’s comments
Friday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Spirited Belle
4.46pm
Delany: “I saw she’d been punted but somebody must know something we don’t as I’ve been working her myself and, while she feels all right and hasn’t put the boot in like at Auckland, I think she’ll need the run. She hasn’t got any high speed but feels like she will stay. She has improved a bit but I’d be surprised if she won.”
Race 1: Lincoln Maree
4.46pm
“It’s always hard from these draws but she’s a tough mare who will make her own luck at some stage. She’s going well enough - her drivers have all been happy - and she’s a little warrior who tries like hell.”
Race 2: Major Copy
5.12pm
“He’s only two and very inexperienced but he feels like a good colt and there’s a lot of improvement in him. He certainly caught a lot of people’s attention last time. I don’t know how good he is yet but he’ll be right there.”
Race 2: Prince Lincoln
5.12pm
“If he can lead without having to do too much work I can’t see anything beating him. I thought he went great last start. He pressed the winner hard ’til the corner then just flattened out in the run home, but he had every reason to do that after all the work he’d done.”
Race 4: Spirit Of God
6.12pm
“She’s been undone by bad draws. If she led easily from three she’d be hard to beat as she’s a good front-runner.”
Race 4: Spirited Peggy
6.12pm
“We’ve had her for only two weeks but she’s seven now and has had her chance to win one. She has a bit of speed but I think she gets pulling so we’ve got the Hidez (compression) hood on her and plugged her ears up.”
Race 6: Copy N Paste
7.10pm
“We won’t see the best of him for another six months. He’s been a slow developing horse but is improving all the time and getting stronger.”
Race 6: Jessie Lincoln
7.10pm
“If I was having a bet on one of them in the race it would be her. She deserves to win one. Her last two have been really good - she just ran into one who was a bit slicker last time in Major Copy.”
Race 6: Lincoln Dealer
7.10pm
“He’s a bit one-dimensional - you’ve got to feed him track and let him run - so the second row draw is a big handicap. To his credit I was surprised he finished so close last time after all the work he did. When he gets a decent draw and crosses them they’ll know they’re at the races. He’s got a big motor and tries hard.”
Race 8: Rivergirl Bella
8.08pm
“She clawed her way to the front last time but had nothing left at the finish. That won’t happen this time and she should lead easily from one.”
Race 8: Angelic Copy
8.08pm
“She’s had terrible draws but has been going good races. The others last time were just better than her but this is a big drop in class. With the right trip she could get some of it at huge odds.”
Race 9: Sugar Ray Lincoln
8.35pm
“He’s not quick away from a stand but he won’t muff it completely. He steps from the front line and Peter Ferguson was quite happy with his last run.”
Race 9: Lincoln Wave
8.35pm
“He bombed the stand the first time but to be fair all those horses were rushing up at him from the back and that panicked him a bit. He’s on 10 metres this time so that won’t happen.”
