A PERFECT HOME TRACK DOUBLE FOR DAVID VANDYKE

By Graham Potter | Friday, October 7, 2022

A perfect home-track double for trainer David Vandyke was the order if the day at the Sunshine Coast on October 7 when the stable’s only two runners Without Revenge and Absolute Charmer both saluted on the day.
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Without Revenge is an interesting runner. Imported from Britain where he raced eleven times for two wins, the son of Muhaarar’s overseas career encompassed races over distances from 1600m to 2414m and so resuming here over 1400m in a Class 4 Handicap was always going to be a local debut that would garner some interest.

It would be no less than a year between runs for Without Revenge, but the bookmakers had little doubt about the level of respect they needed to show the Vandyke trained runner, marking him up at $1.70 after he had won his last trial leading into the race.

Ryan Maloney edged Without Revenge into an almost immediate lead which he quickly stretched out to two lengths in spite of being under a hard hold.

Without Revenge dictated the way the race unfolded all the way to the home turn where the field had closed up markedly behind him … and they would continue to snap at his heels all of the way down the home straight, but there was no ‘give’ in Without Revenge’s makeup and he remained in control of proceedings throughout to win with the minimum of fuss, albeit by only a one length margin at the line.
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Absolute Charmer, for his part, was every bit as efficient.

Transferred to the David Vandyke stable when Michael Costa moved to Dubai, the daughter of Charge Forward had two previous runs for the Vandyke yard, finishing eighth over 1200m and then third over 1400m.

Having that progressive fitness in the bank, and with another step up in distance to 1600m, Absolute Charmer was clearly ready to make his mark in a Class 1 Handicap at the Sunshine Coast on October 7, but he did drift in the betting market (from $2.70 to $3.40 second favourite) as the money came for Savileo who started favourite at $1.95.

Ryan Maloney had Absolute Charmer racing fourth, two lengths off the lead in the early part and Absolute Charmer maintained that position until the approach to the home turn where Maloney started to angle his mount off the rail looking for clear running.

That option didn’t come easy at first, with Maloney having to quite sharply redirect Absolute Charmer back into a gap inbetween runners one off the fence.

In the first instance, Absolute Charmer had to be brave to burrow his way past those runners on either side of him to be able to burst into the lead and then he had to show serious commitment in the run home when chased by a wall of horses, who he stoutly held at bay to salute by a one length margin from his market rival Savileo.

This was a second career win from only five starts for the lightly raced four-year-old.

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