DOOM DEC 26 - CHARMING ROGUE ON HIS WAY BACK

By Graham Potter | Monday, December 28, 2009

Doomben, December 26, 2009.
Track - Slow 6. Rail - out 5m.
Open Handicap - 1200m. Time: 1-10.46.
1 Charming Rogue; 2 Pride Of Power; 3 Rasmussen.

The Alan Bailey trained Charming Rogue bounced back to something like his best form when he put in a concentrated effort to win by a comfortable two length margin.

The gelding had promised much earlier in his career when he remained unbeaten in his first two preps winning seven races in a row over distances ranging from 1200m to 1500m.

Charming Rogue also completed seven runs in his next two preparations, but this time there was no win the ledger. He had stepped up in class during this period ... racing in Listed and Open company, as well as contesting a Group 3 and a Group 2 event, but those results remained below expectations.

Charming Rogue was then spelled for four months and resumed with a fair enough effort in Sydney last time before coming good in no uncertain terms here.

Two impressive factors about the run merged into a race winning performance. There was the way Charming Rogue put himself into the race and the way he finished the race off.

Jockey Jim Byrne had him positioned just off the speed in the early part, racing in-between Yass River (on the rail) and Zahas Pride (on his outside) as Mister Celestial and Rasmussen set the race tempo up front. On straightening Charming Rogue was asked to change gears and he quickly left Yass River and Zaha’s Pride behind as he went after the leaders.

Rasmussen got the better of Mr Celestial early in the straight, but Charming Rogue quickly ranged up alongside the top weight at which stage his 5kg favourable pull at the weights kicked in as a prime factor in the outcome.

Charming Rogue went to lead with 200m left to run from which moment the race was safely in his keeping. Pride Of Power also went past Rasmussen to chase into second spot while the ever honest Rasmussen stayed on for third, but, at the end of the day, this was the race in which Charming Rogue got back on the winner’s list.

His progress from here will be watched with a keen interest.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Alan Bailey: “Yeah, it’s been a while since he saluted, but he hasn’t had many races. He had problems with his feet the last time we had him in and we gave him a good spell.

“He’s come back. I thought his run in town the other day when I took him to Sydney was really good. I think that has been proved by the form. News Alert finished a length behind him and only got beat a nose in the Razor Sharp last week. Mr Unforgettable finished another two lengths behind him.
He just won (in race five in Sydney) by about three or four lengths.

“This one has been doing nothing. That run (In Sydney) was his first run in what ... four months. Now he has come out and won, so yeah I think he is back to somewhere where he was before.

“I did think he was going well enough to go to Sydney, but at the same time there were no races to suit him here and I thought the trip down ... the run down there would really do him good, because I wanted to get him ready for the Goldmarket (at the Gold Coast on January 1). He’s done so well since he came home that I’ve run him today and hopefully I’ll back him up in the Goldmarket on Friday.

“You’ve just got to try and get the races to fall into pattern and sometimes with these Open Company horses it is not that easy. Anyway, it has worked so far."

Jockey Jim Byrne: “Look, he gets to the front and then he kinda floats a little bit. He got to the front and I thought, ah he’s got them easy, but then he started floating a bit. Alan (Bailey) said he would probably do that a bit and he may take a bit of riding ... but his run the other day was pretty good so you would have expected the horse to run well."

PRICE FLUCTUATIONS:
Winner (Charming Rogue): 4.60 steady.
Favourite (Rasmussen): 2.50 out to 2.80. Finished third.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
When the pace slackened approaching the 800m, Gallum (J. Taylor) commenced to over-race at the heels of Yass River (R. Wiggins) and had to be steadied. Light Red (M. Hellyer), which was following, also had to be steadied as a consequence.

Zahas Price (L. Cassidy) raced wide throughout.