Argyle, top, is pipped by the late swooper Shell Shock last week.
Unlucky Argyle deserves to be rewarded at Albion Park tonight - just no bad luck please
By Barry Lichter • 24 February 2024
Argyle is racing so well not even an inside second row draw should keep him out of the finish at Albion Park on Saturday night, says trainer Mark Dux.
“It wouldn’t have mattered where he drew this week, he’s in the money, barring bad luck. He’s going terrific and he gets in so well at the ratings.”
Argyle is the top rater in the 1660 metre sprint on R75, only Mister Reactor (R74) close to him, with the next highest rated horse Rocknpenny on R63.
And it’s not as if Argyle has slipped in the pecking order. While his fromline of 82602 isn’t that inspiring, Dux says it would be hard to point to any recent race where he has not performed well.
“We’re going as well as anything in the race and I’m very happy with him.”
Unlucky not to have won last week, when pipped half a neck, Argyle was just held up a little waiting for the sprint lane, which allowed his main danger, fellow Woodlands Stud graduate Shell Shock, to cash in on his momentum out wide.
“We took a while to wind up and he also wanted to get up the track a bit which didn’t help.”
Argyle lost his advantage of the pole soon after the start when, after making a swift start, he was outsped to the first turn by Alta Equus, ending up in the trail.
Instead of being able to roll along at a good clip, Argyle then was at the mercy of the leader’s tempo, the sedate last half of 56.7 leaving him susceptible to a swooper like Shell Shock.
“From the trail you’re dictated to by how strong the leader gets you to the corner.”
Dux says the form for Saturday was franked when Alta Equus, third last week, won at Albion Park last night.
While Argyle follows out a good beginner in Mighty George tonight, Dux sees Bonnies Cam, in two, crossing him.
“If the two wants to lead it will. That would put us three fence and it then would come down to what the others out wide want to do. Leithen Burn might try to cross from five.
“Three back I’m happy. Even four back doesn’t put him out of the race by any stretch. We just don’t want any bad luck.”
Top young gun driver Angus Garrard, away driving in Sydney last week, is back on board tonight.
Argyle races at 11.02pm NZ time at Albion Park on Saturday night.
More news in Harness
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Spiritual Bliss and Lincoln Maree add to Lincoln Farms’ gallery of Manawatu heroes
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Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Wednesday at Cambridge
Race 3: Spiritual Bliss
1.10pm
“You can’t fault what she’s done up here and she’s trained on really well since Manawatu. She seems to have a good motor and can carry her speed a long way. It’s a bit of a step-up on Wednesday, and she’s drawn out a bit, but she should be right in the fray.”
Race 4: Lincoln Lover
1.45pm
“It’s a huge drop in class for him on what he’s been racing. The Purdon horse Crippa Max looks the one to beat on his trial but I’m picking we’ll finish in the first three at worst. He’s very honest and does nothing wrong.”
Race 6: Lincoln Downs
2.55pm
“She got skittled early last time when one galloped in front of her, and that didn’t help. It would be nice to see her get a good trip, with no incidents, and see what she can do. She’s no superstar but she tries hard.”
Race 9: Leo Lincoln
4.31pm
“It’s his first race for more than four months and I’m picking he’ll need the run. It was a toss-up whether we went to the trials, but he’d probably have had no opposition, so it made sense to drop him in here. He’s training well and seems in good shape but whatever he does, he’ll improve on.”
