22.12.2008, SYDNEY DOUBLE FOR DUNN

Amanda Hawke
Saturday, 20 December 2008

Victorian visitor Dwayne Dunn’s Sydney sojourn paid quick dividends after the hoop completed a double for trainer Chris Waller aboard Rangirangdoo and Come On Cugat at Randwick today.

Dunn booked a solid card of five rides at today’s meeting and after two flat performances, produced a solid win aboard emerging stayer Come On Cugat in the fifth event.

Today’s win was the gelding’s second over 2000m.

“With the number of riders out injured I managed to pick up a few good rides up here,” Dunn said.

“I’ve done a bit of riding for Chris in the past, it’s great to continue that association and finally ride a winner for him.”

Waller credited Come On Cugat’s improved performance to assistant trainer Paul Shailer and stable foreperson Analese Trollope, who stepped in in the trainer’s absence.

“Getting him out on the course proper, that extra fitness really made the difference.

“He’s getting fitter now and he might get further. Gerry [Harvey, owner] certainly thinks he’ll get further and if he keeps staying like he did today, he may just be right.

“I’d like him to have a go at 2400m this campaign – I’m thinking the Australia Day Cup with a race in between.”

In the seventh, lightly-raced four-year-old Rangirangdoo completed a hat-trick of wins with Dunn in the saddle.

“In a good quality field like this, it was a top effort,” Waller said.

After his Sydney double, the hoop could be contemplating some minor adjustments to his arrangement with trainer Lee Freedman: “I’m contracted to Lee but after today I’m thinking I should ride here more often,” he quipped.

The placings and margins: Come On Cugat 57kg ($6.50) (D. Dunn) defeated I’ve Got Talent 58.5kg ($2.30) (R. Quinn) by a short head with Rabbit Nagina 53.5kg ($7.50) (J. Cassidy) a further half length away in third.

The time and sectionals: The overall time for the race was a class record in 2.03.98 secs and the final 600 metres was run in 37.80 secs.

Winner’s breeding: A five-year-old gelding by King Cugat (USA) x Come On Klaire (NZ) (Sir Tristram (IRE)).

What they said: “It must be Christmas time – he hit the line good,” winning jockey Dwayne Dunn said after the victory.

“He ran well, he wanted to over-race down the back and it was the difference between winning and losing,” said Rod Quinn, rider of I’ve Got Talent.

“All he had to do was go straight and we would have won,” said Jimmy Cassidy, rider of Rabbit Nagina.

“Tough effort,” said Peter Wells (a), rider of Ausbred King.

“He was a tad weak,” said Danny Nikolic, rider of Baha [5^th].

The favourite: I’ve Got Talent fought on strongly but according to rider Rod Quinn, his failure to settle cost him the race.

The betting:. Predominance met with support, backed in from $9 to $8 but Come On Cugat was the best-backed runner, opening at $8.50 and starting at $6.50. The on-course market closed at 116 percent.

17.12.2008, DOUBLE DARE POISED FOR SYDNEY RETURN

Monday, 15 December 2008 By Caryl Williamson Stradbroke Handicap placegetter Double Dare has bounced back from a lacklustre spring and hopes are high he can show his best in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap at Randwick. Double Dare had an interrupted run in the Group One Stradbroke (1400m) in June won by Mr Baritone to be beaten by less than half a length. He had one Sydney spring start in The Shorts at Randwick on October 4 where he finished out of the placings and again failed to come up to expectations in two starts in Melbourne. Trainer Chris Waller brought him home and the gelding claimed a confidence-boosting win in a barrier trial last week. With Waller having a few days off, foreman Paul Shailer says Double Dare seems to be his old self. “His trial win was impressive without doing too much,” Shailer said. “He is a horse who has had a few wind issues during his career but he goes well fresh and although Melbourne was disappointing, he is coming along nicely since he’s been back home.” Double Dare was one of 20 nominations for the Razor Sharp which was won last year by international sprint star Takeover Target. The Waller-trained Future’s Dream is only a 50-50 chance of running in the other feature on the program, the Group Two Villiers Stakes, but the stable will be well represented in the support races. Shellscrape is set to run in the two-year-old handicap for colts and geldings after running second at his two starts so far, both times behind Phenomenal Lass. “He has done very well and is pretty much bombproof,” Shailer said. There were just seven entries for the race with 17 nominations for the fillies division. Waller will have three runners in the 1400m two-metropolitan-win race – the enigmatic Gently Bentley, improving four-year-old Rangirangdoo and English import Shadow Cabinet. Rangirangdoo has had four starts and won his past two at Canterbury, the most recent on November 20. “He had a foot abscess which was nothing serious but it means he hasn’t raced for a few weeks,” Shailer said. “He is very promising. Shadow Cabinet won a barrier trial in good fashion and Gently Bentley mixes it up but is doing well.” There were 123 entries for the meeting with the Group Two Villiers (1600m) receiving a healthy 21 nominations.