Clive Robinson
Charlie Malone, Dragonfly and African Rain look likely to continue the good start to the season for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson when racing resumes at Durbanville’s country course with an eight-race card on Saturday 17 September.
And bettors could well be laughing all the way to the bank should they include the trio in a TAB All-To-Come bet.
Having finished second over 1250m to highly regarded At My Command in his third start, Charlie Malone returns to the course and distance in Race 1 and should go one better. A disappointing ninth of 10 runners in his fourth start prompted connections to geld this son of Querari but, after consecutive third-place finishes over 1000m in his two subsequent starts, an overdue maiden victory is on the cards for Bass-Robinson’s charge who will be ridden for the first time by Gareth Wright from a favourable No 5 draw.
Stratospheric, Master Point and stablemate Max The Otter are likely to pose the biggest threat to Charlie Malone but they are all drawn wide and will need things to go their way from awkward starting berths. So, including them in Swinger, Exacta, Trifecta and even Quartet bets could prove the shrewd play in the opener.
Bass-Robinson’s stable jockey Aldo Domeyer may have to wait until late in the day to land himself in the winner’s box but returning Dragonfly ought to make it worthwhile with a bold showing at what should prove to be generous odds in Race 6 over 1250m.
Three visits to the country course have yielded a win, a second and a close-up fifth in a similar contest over 1400m two starts back but the return to a more suitable trip racing fresh after a break should stand this son of What A Winter in good stead.
He finished second in his only outing over the course and distance when returning from a rest and gelding in September last year and from his seven subsequent starts has gone on to win three times over 1400m, 1500m and 1200m when last seen 22 weeks ago.
While clearly capable over further, Dragonfly should acquit himself competitively in a tricky sprint event featuring a number of promising and unexposed sorts as well as a few hard-knocking handicappers.
Talented sprinter African Rain and has also taken his form to a new level after gelding. In seven starts since he was gelded this son of Soft Falling Rain has seen his rating upped from 94 to his current mark of 119 after two wins and a Grade 1 second in the 1000m Cape Flying Championship back in late January on Cape Met day.
He was last seen 20 weeks ago contesting another top-level sprint on the Highveld where he finished a creditable fifth, beaten just 2.85 lengths, behind Master Archie in the Computaform Sprint. He reappears in Race 7 over 1000m under Wright and, as the best-weighted runner in the race on official ratings, should regain the winning thread despite lumping a hefty 62kg from gate No 5. It is probably worth noting that his only visit to this course and distance did result in victory.
Highly thought of stablemate Resonate is useful in his own right and appears the pick of the stable’s runners in the race on riding arrangements. However, he too returns from a break of 12 weeks and is 1.5kg under sufferance given the conditions of the race.
This lightly raced Twice Over gelding has racked up three wins, two seconds and a third from his last six appearances and Domeyer knows him best. He could prove the biggest danger to his stable companion’s winning bid, so including the pair in Swinger and Exacta bets should prove profitable.
For Trifecta and Quartet purposes, Giacomo Puccini and Irish Morning are must-haves as is former Grade 1 scorer Ambiorix who has slid down the ratings to a dangerous mark.
