It was the best of times…these words famously open Charles Dickens’ historical novel A Tale Of Two Cities and more than define the success enjoyed this season by Drakenstein Stud.
The farm’s rich vein of form continued unabated at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, where Dickens’s equine namesake made light work of the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge.
Charles Dickens leaves his opposition trailing (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Remarkably, the colt has tasted defeat just twice in his nine-start career, and to his credit, has now exacted revenge on both conquerors.
In last month’s Gr2 World Sports Betting Guineas, he turned the tables on the Michael Roberts-trained See It Again, who had beaten him by just over a length in the Gr1 Cape Derby. This time, it was the turn of last year’s Gold Challenge winner Al Muthana, whose whirlwind finish in the Gr1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate had ended the colt’s undefeated record.
Not only has he cemented his claims to the Champion Miler’s title, he also finds himself amongst an exclusive quartet of sophomores to have claimed this Gr1 mile race since the start of the millennium. Celtic Grove took the honours in 2001, Variety Club won in 2012 and Undercover Agent six years later in 2018.
Charles Dickens proudly shows off his blanket with Oscar Nkunzi (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
As one of our readers pointed out, the comparison with especially Variety Club is a fascinating one.
He too, won the Cape Guineas, was narrowly beaten in the (then) Queens Plate and had to bow to Jackson in the Cape Derby. Eerily, he too, set the record straight when turning the tables on the Derby winner in the Gr2 KRA Guineas before showing his supremacy over a mile in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Clairwood. Incidentally, he made it a double when he defeated Beach Beauty twelve months later.
Although he proved himself a supreme miler not just at home but abroad as well, Variety Club was never again asked to prove himself beyond that distance.
2014 Hong Kong Champions Mile winner Variety Club
Some might argue that as a son of champion sprinter Var, a mile was the limit of his stamina, yet there will always be the question if it was to protect Variety Club from any possible defeat.
Not so the horse who grabbed the imagination on a global scale just over a decade ago, the incomparable Frankel.
He set the British tracks alight and never tasted defeat, winning all 14 of his starts by an average margin of around six lengths. Having proved himself a miler par excellence, owner Khaled Abdullah could have elected to retire the son of Galileo after his 13th victory, yet sportingly, allowed the colt to prove himself over further, and he duly lined up for Ascot’s Gr1 Champion Stakes over 2000m.
With his smooth, powerful stride, the soft going on the day was an added hurdle to overcome, yet he passed the test with flying colours and sauntered home almost two lengths clear of defending champion Cirrus Des Aigles, who by the way, had won his previous five starts on soft ground by an average margin of almost eight lengths.
We would never dare to compare Charles Dickens to this undisputed giant of the turf, but wouldn’t it be great to see him compete beyond a mile again?
Trainer Candice Bass-Robinson’s post-race remarks, “this was his seasonal target and he’s had a busy season,” suggest we can but hope that he will again grace the Durban track with his presence on July 29 for the Gr1 Champions Cup over 1800m.
He should see out the extra furlong on class alone, and his pedigree suggests the same.
Charles’ Mom! Demanding Lady – 2013 Ipi Tombe Stakes winner (Pic – Hamish Niven)
His dam, the Gr2 Ipi Tombe Challenge winner Demanding Damsel scored up to 2200m, in addition to which he is an own brother to Settlers Trophy winner Somerset Maugham and Gr1 Cape Derby runner-up Charles, both of which raced successfully in middle distance company.
By the way, for those who are speculating that the colt will join his sire Trippi at Drakenstein for the upcoming breeding season, the answer is an emphatic NO.
Team Dickens! Candice Bass-Robinson, Aldo Domeyer , Gaynor Rupert and Kevin Sommerville pose for the camera (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Drakenstein owner Gaynor Rupert has confirmed her prized colt will stay in training at four.
“He is just growing into himself now and the best is surely yet to come,” she remarked.
That’s music to our ears. He has such a following and there is still the small matter of avenging that L’Ormarins King’s Plate loss. Besides, as a mature four-year-old, the Met may well be within his scope.
Asked if there was a possibility that Charles Dickens could leave the country, Mrs Rupert added: “As long as we have export problems and quarantine, I won’t send him anywhere.”
