Rookie Rothwell can do a good job on Argyle - but it’s a strong line-up on Saturday night

Trainer Mark Dux is confident 21-year-old rookie Nathan Rothwell can do a good job behind Argyle at Albion Park on Saturday night.

Dux is using the claiming junior to allow Argyle to race in band 5 again, despite scoring a powerful all-the-way win in the same grade last week.

And after drawing well in gate two for the 2138 metre event, Dux says both driver and horse are up to the task, despite some strong opposition.

Nathan Rothwell … has driven 79 winners.“Nathan is one of the leading five claiming drivers at the moment and I’m sure he’ll do the job.

“He’s been driving quite a few winners for Jack Butler in the last few months.”

Rothwell who drove 42 winners in 2023, and now has a career tally of 79, drove a treble at Redcliffe in February and was recently named one of two rookies of the year by the Breeders, Owners, Trainers and Reinspersons Association of Queensland.

Argyle, too, has been in his best form, capping a run of outstanding sectional times with a 1660 metre win over Glover and Stormtide last Saturday night in a sharp 1:51.9 mile rate.

How he fares on Saturday night will probably be decided in the first 200 metres of the race, says Dux.

“We have a good draw but the one inside us, Aroda, is a nice horse and he has enough speed to hold us if Grant (Dixon) wants to.

“But Grant has (one of the favourites) Mossdale Terry on his back and might hand to Argyle (to put his rival deep).

“We’ll come off the gate and have a look and, now we have a bit of respect, there is some hope they’ll let us go.”

Query over fast beginners

Dux suspects two fast beginners drawn out wide may not be used up this week.

Bangkok Deejay, who starts in four, was burned out of the gate last week and finished down the track, and the smart Teddy Disco is having his first race for more than three months.

Though he has won two recent trials, Dux says Teddy Disco may not be gassed early first-up, especially as his connections have bigger races in mind for him.

“He has a junior on as well, not his usual driver. But if he does launch, he might have enough speed to cross and Grant might hand.”

Predicting what will happen is tricky, says Dux - “there could be a lot of pressure or very little” - but so long as Argyle isn’t driven too hard early for too long, he should feature again.

“What kills you is too fast a lead time, but if we have a look in the first furlong then don’t be silly, I think he’ll race well. We’ll get a nice enough run even if we have to sit parked.

“There’s not a lot between them - Wisper A Secret, on the second line, is a really nice horse too - so it will come down to who gets the best run.”

Four races later, Lincoln Farms’ stablemate Captain Nemo resumes off a two-month break, Dux thinking with an ounce of luck he can hit the line hard, possibly earning a cheque.

“Five is a tricky draw. I’ll leave it up to Angus (Garrard) to judge how he gets off the gate but I don’t want to see him burn too hard. He’s not ready to be carved up.

“It will come down to what happens in the run. It’s only a good, average field but we could end up settling eighth or ninth and, if they only go steady, we’d be out of it.”

Argyle races at 8.41pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday. night.Captain Nemo races at 10.55pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.