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Captain Nemo … looks a class above his rivals on Thursday night. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.

With a better draw, Captain Nemo’s set to make amends at Cambridge on Thursday

The barrier draw beat Captain Nemo last week at Cambridge but he looks very hard to beat there on Thursday night from a better alley.

Lincoln Farms’ talented three-year-old is sure to touch a short price in the last race of the night when he leaves from five, a far more competitive position than the outside of the arm.

Captain Nemo didn’t help himself by scoring up greenly last week and was forced to make a mid-race move three wide from the back to park 850 metres from home.

He fought bravely in the run home, holding off two challengers for second, but was no match for Dixie Reign, five lengths behind at the line.

Trainer Ray Green says Captain Nemo clearly stands out on Thursday in a lowly rating 40 to 47 race.

“He’s in with average horses and on paper he looks the one to beat. He’s getting fitter and fitter with each run and it’s not a stellar bunch of animals he’s up against.

“He’s a serious winning chance.”

While Captain Nemo has won only one race, at Cambridge, he has regularly taken on the best age group horses in the country and Green believes he will develop into a more than useful type for part-owner and noted golfer Gareth Paddison.

Brodie Lindenny … finally coming to it.Brodie Lindenny … finally coming to it.Brodie Lindenny has taken much longer than Captain Nemo to develop but makes an overdue debut in the second race.

Green says the Bettor’s Delight three-year-old has taken time to come to it but had finally “put his hand up to say ‘I’m ready’. “He’s very green but he’s got to start somewhere and he’s improving all the time.

“And if he goes as well as he did at the workouts last week he can be in the money.”

Brodie Lindenny, one-one early, went to the lead when left parked and despite racing a little greenly at times put up a good fight when challenged hard 500 meres out by Commander Cathy. Beaten a neck, but well covered, he ran his last 800 metres in 58.7, with the 2050 metres run at a mile rate of 2:03.2.

Green believes Brodie Lindenny, drawn the pole on Thursday, has enough gate speed to hold his own at the start.

“I don’t know how bad the others are but he’s capable of running a place in that field.”

Our runners this week

Friday night at Auckland

What’s Up The Hill.

Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Nathan Delany

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 Delany

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.”

Race Images - Harness