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
Shunt and tangled tail hamper our Johnny - why he can win Friday’s Lincoln Farms Pace
Ray: Put the line through Johnny’s last run - it was a walk-fest and he copped it late
Return to left-handed racing will help Lincoln La Moose at Cambridge on Thursday night
Here’s Johnny … Ray introduces weanling sale graduate as deserved favourite on Friday night
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Tuesday twlight at Cambridge
Race 1: Im Not The Maid
5.19pm
“She tries hard but others look better here and she’ll need a lot of luck from the wide draw.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Tyson
5.35pm
“He’s a strong horse and I think he’ll improve with that fresh-up run. He’s trained on well and Zac is staying with him and that’s always a good sign. He’s drawn well so he should be handy. You have to rate him a chance.”
Race 3: Johnny LIncoln
6.36pm
“I thought he did very well to recover from that early gallop last week. His tail also became entangled in the hopple carrier which made him over-race. He got in a bit on the corners too but we’ll put a little burr on his neck this week to stop that. He looks to be a nice horse and I’m sure he’ll go well again.”
Race 9: The Rascal
9.24pm
“You couldn’t fault his first-up effort at Cambridge, I thought it was the run of the race. Fergy got pushed out at the 950 but that’s because he was nursing him as he’s a bit green. Previously he was on our transfer list but he’s steadily improved in the last three or four weeks and is really coming to it now.”
