Xavier Carstens rides his 20th winner as Aromatics gets the better of Winter Reserve
Phillipi trainer Mike Robinson maintained his rich vein of form from a small string when saddling a great double at Kenilworth on Monday. He boasts one of the best win strike rates of any trainer in South Africa.
His first full season started in dazzling fashion when his first two runners were winners and from only 43 runners, he has sent out 12 winners (win strike of 27%), with a place strike rate of 55%.
He saddles only one runner at Kenilworth today in the formless Kahal gelding Master Kilroy.
The Tawny Syndicate bred 3yo has not earned in ten runs, but has only his fourth run for Mike after leaving Stephen Page’s yard and will be ridden by Xavier Carstens.
He has not been far off and while poorly drawn over the 1400m in the Pick Six opener, may be worth inclusion in bigger perms.
Robinson celebrated his first personal winning double since going solo in May last year when Aromatics and Blarney Bay won at Kenilworth on Monday’s Youth Day public holiday meeting.
Both were ridden by promising apprentice Xavier Carstens, who also marked a personal milestone by losing his 4kg claim. He has had great success with the yard having scored his first personal feature stakes winner on Hot Affair in the Listed Perfect Promise Sprint in April.
On a wintry Monday just past, the team celebrated a great day at the office and maintained their excellent strike rate when sending out only four runners, for the two winners, a fourth and a sixth.
Their first winner came in the first race, when the Winterbach Stud and A Joannides bred Aromatics, a daughter of Albert Hall, showed nice improvement under a balanced ride to lead all the way in the Maiden Plate over 1000m
The former Stephen Page-trained Blarney Bay made it a terrific four wins and a second from just five starts for Robinson when he was always in control to win a Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m.
Blarney Bay and Xavier Carstens are doing what they do best
The son of Nysaean continues to defy the handicapper (his merit rating has gone from a 67 to the mid nineties in his tenure with Robinson) and he appears to enjoy all types of going.
There is much speculation as to where he is headed at this rate and it just goes to show that perseverance pays. He, after all, took seven runs to win his maiden and had a lengthy form slump in mid career.
For young apprentice Carstens, Aromatics was his 20th winner and he thus now only claims 2,5kgs.
Robinson has an impeccable pedigree and all the makings of a top trainer. He has already been acknowledged with support from some of the country’s top owners, and even when dealing with second-handers, he has shown that uncanny knack of getting the best out of his horses.
Mike can be contacted at [email protected].
