3yo REBEL COUNTY Goes BACK TO BACK with Courageous WIN

12 Sep 21

Racing enthusiasts are aware just how hard an assignment it is for any horse to go back-to-back after a Maiden Win, to score a follow-up victory especially when the maiden is against peers of their same age. To then progress well up in class, and take on older, stronger and experienced horses, who have won multiple races is hard.

That’s what our highly promising 3yo gelding REBEL COUNTY (Star Turn ex County Cork) achieved on Saturday, as he defeated older tough-nuts to claim Race 3 the Douglass Blinds and Security Screes Benchmark 64 Handicap over 1600m at the Kembla Grange provincial meeting, transferred to Goulburn racecourse due to COVID concerns.

REBEL COUNTY winning at Goulburn 11-9-21

REBEL COUNTY (56.0kgs) started $1.95 favourite having been backed-in from $3.20 and defeated Black Wand (60.5kgs) ($9.0) by a short-half head (0.07 length) with Dip Me Lid (57.5kgs) ($11) 2.23 lengths away in third spot.

On a Good 4 surface, they ran a slick 1:36.06 with a last 600m of 36.78.

He's a Winner - REBEL COUNTY likes to get his photo taken

REBEL COUNTY was facing the starter for just his 3rd career start, each at Provincial Grade and now has a record of 2 Wins and 1 Third with earnings of $47,930 including two (2) BOBS Bonuses.

REBEL COUNTY was impressive on debut over an unsuitable shorter trip of 1200m, where he set the pace but just tired in the final 50m where he had set up a record time at Scone of 1:11.34 when beaten 1.6 lengths. That meeting was the Newcastle provincial meeting transferred to Scone due to COVID.

Then fitter and more experienced, he stepped up to a more suitable 1400m at his next start at the Kembla provincial meeting transferred to Goulburn due to Covid. He won this stylishly, against his 3yo peers in a Maiden plate.

REBEL COUNTY winning his Maiden at Goulburn 28-8-21

Placing him to advantage at his third start required some deeper thinking.

On Thursday at Hawkesbury, he was an acceptor in a Class 1 over 1600m where Gerald and Sterling thought he would win. However Dynamic Syndications had another runner in that race named NOTIONS whose trainer Richard Freedman was also adamant that she would win.

It’s silly business to race both horses against each other if it can be avoided, as only one horse can be the winner.

We also had REBEL COUNTY accepted for Saturday, where he was a dual acceptor for a Class 1 over 1400m again, and also the Benchmark 64 over 1600m.

Gerald had also sated he would prefer to have gone 14 days between runs instead of 12 days. So, sanity prevailed, and we asked Gerald and Sterling to wait for Saturday and scratch from the Hawkesbury meeting. As a result, NOTIONS did win that race for her Dynamic Owners.

NOTIONS winning Class 1 1600m at Hawkesbury

Whilst at the Saturday, the 1400m Class 1 looked an ideal put-in take-out race, co-trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou believed our horse was already looking for the mile. Winning the 1400m Class 1 was certainly easier on paper taking on horses that had only won one race, the distance of the Bm64 1600m was far better progression for what we believe will ultimately be a very nice 2000m horse in 6 months’ time.

However, there were a few areas of concern.

Firstly, it is rare that a 3yo can graduate from their own age group and take on older, tougher horses that have won multiple races.

For example, the runner-up Black Wand (7yo) has had 38 starts = 6:8:4 and Prizemoney of $195,180.

Third placed Dip Me Lid (6yo) has had 31 starts = 5:9:4 and Prizemoney of $115,375.

Fourth placed Tinker’s Lad (4yo) has had 9 starts = 3:1:1 and Prizemoney of $59,490.

Fifth placed Banger (6yo) has had 36 starts = 5:6:3 and Prizemoney of $194,060.

Sixth placed Balonne (8yo) has had 49 starts = 8:5:2 and Prizemoney of $185,390.

Seventh placed Howlowcanyougo has had 27 starts = 6:3:1 and Prizemoney of $152,735

Whilst REBEL COUNTY was heading into the race as an inexperienced 3yo with just 2 starts to his resume for a 3rd and a Win and prizemoney of just $25,565.

So, on paper it looked like a mismatch. However, they don’t run races on paper, and nobody told REBEL COUNTY he couldn’t win, nor who he was competing against.

We just believe in his ability, his results against the clock on raceday and at trackwork, and we believe in his pedigree. His Dam County Cork (by Fastnet Rock) is a half-sister to our Cox Plate Hero SAVABEEL, whilst Star Turn is a grandson of noted stamina sire Starcraft.

Secondly, we knew he may be vulnerable at 1600m based on the issues of maturity, fitness and race experience; however, he held the intangible asset of Class, and that would hopefully offset these issues.

If we simply wanted a photo on the wall then the Class 1 1400m would be the race, but if we wanted to test him and determine what levels and where we think he can aspire to racing next preparation, we would learn far more by running against the older horses at 1600m at provincial grade.

So, the decision was made to run over the 1600m and scratch from the Class 1.

It was a gamble, as we had scratched him from a winnable Class 1 event on the Thursday at 1600m and then Saturday at 1400m to run in stronger grade at a mile.

We were proven correct thanks to a promising horse putting in a courageous run, along with a quality ride by our go to jet-pilot Christian Reith.

Our intention was to take bad luck out of the equation and in the field of 7 runners, take-up the running and stack the field and then sprint from the 400m.

However, things didn’t quite work to plan as they appeared they might on our speed map.

REBEL COUNTY as the gates crashed back, was fastest away, but the rider of Tinker’s Lad had obviously been given the instructions to lead at all costs, so it was hard ridden to push up underneath us and hold the fence.

This is where the experience of a leading jockey comes into play. Christian Reith quickly summed-up what was happening and took hold of REBEL COUNTY allowing Tinker’s Lad to overwork in front whilst Christian was able to get REBEL COUNTY into a working rhythm following the leader whilst the rest of the field were content to sit off REBEL COUNTY and have the final say.

Unfortunately, under blustery conditions, the side wind was causing some tractability issues with the leader, who was running about like a drunken sailor from the 700m to the 450m as the field swung into the home straight.

Tinker’s Lad turned for home in front with REBEL COUNTY poised to strike. Passing the 350m mark, Christian pushed the go-button and REBEL COUNTY extended but just as he did, Tinker’s Lad got hit by a gust and moved out sharply 3 horses wide into our running line, causing REBEL COUNTY to lose momentum at a vital stage as Christian was forced to angle back underneath Tinker’s Lad as they passed the 300m.

At this point it is hard for inexperienced horses to gather themselves and make a second sprint, but Christian got REBEL COUNTY to respond.

Whilst this was happening, experienced campaigner Black Wand who had a lovely run in transit, on our back with the slipstream effect, peeled out to the centre of the track and was full of running with uninterrupted momentum. From the 200m to the finishing line it was an old-fashioned dogfight as REBEL COUNTY and Black Wand fought hard, stride-by-stride, striving for the camera.

You won't beat me - a determined REBEL COUNTY fights to the finish

REBEL COUNTY was running on fumes over the last 100m and then a strong gust of wind from the inside got REBEL COUNTY unbalanced and he started to lay out under pressure. Christian kept calm and REBEL COUNTY would not be denied, digging deep to hold out Black Wand who made a late dive down the outside but missed.

The pair gapped the chasers with 2.23 lengths back to Dip Me Lid in third.

REBEL COUNTY & CHRISTIAN REITH Return To The Winner's Stall

There were of plenty reasons as to why REBEL COUNTY could have been defeated, however despite all the stated concerns, his determination and his class prevailed, and he got his photo taken as the camera clicked. There were no excuses for the beaten brigade.

Credit to Christian Reith who had been given a torrid time caused by Tinker’s Lad waywardness, and Christian’s horsemanship ability to keep REBEL COUNTY in a rhythm, allowing him to extend right to the line.

Dynamic Duo - REBEL COUNTY & CHRISTIAN REITH

Congratulations to Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou and the team at Gerald Ryan Racing on the way they have polished our young horse into a promising middle-distance competitor.

Consideration was given to possibly having a crack at the Gloaming over 1800m and then onto the Spring Champion over 2000m, following a similar path as we did with Love Tap last season, however we have decided that he is physically and mentally not there at this stage, so we will head for a short let-up now with the promise of nice races when next time in.

LOVE TAP winning the Gr3 Gloaming Stakes over 1800m

He is still doing a few things wrong, which is a sign of him not mentally being ready yet and physically he is still 6 months away from the maturity levels required to be at that level in the Spring.

He will be a much better and stronger candidate next time through.

He has come a long way this preparation and this was a tough win. So, he will benefit going to the paddock fit and well and having the Spring sun on his back and grazing on new season growth he will come back in bigger and stronger and more confident within himself.

It’s always hard emotionally to send a horse to the spelling paddock who appears so promising and has recorded back-to-back wins, but it’s easy when considering the best interests of the horse, and the good horse husbandry and management, he will be an exciting city class force in the late Summer into the Autumn over 1600m to 2000m.

As the saying goes: “The future belongs to those who plan for it.”

REBEL COUNTY as a yearling February 2019

Purchased for just $75,000 at the Magic Millions from Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud, he is well on his way to being an exciting prospect for his owners.

Congratulations to our Loyal Team of Dynamic Owners that race REBEL COUNTY: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr G Harvey, Mr C A Reid, Mr I Martin, Mr J Shorten, Mr W Laing, Mr D J Harrison, Mr R B McKay, Mr J Raffle, Mr G Deeley, Mr R J Matejcic, Southern Land Properties, Mr B Neill, Ms J A Murphy, Mr I R Cornwell, Mr M A De Ridder

REBEL COUNTY recorded Dynamic Syndications 733rd Overall Race Win and our 7th Race Win for the new racing season.

Onwards and Upwards!