Rupert humbled by Charles Dickens

Jack Milner

Not much in life can make your heart turn over and you feel you can laugh and cry in the same five minutes.

This remark was made by Drakenstein Stud owner Gaynor Rupert following the victory of Charles Dickens in the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville last Saturday.

This three-year-old son of Trippi has gripped the imagination of the racing public for the past nine months and it does not matter whether you are young or old, rich or poor, owner or punter, watching greatness in action in a sport you love, is an overpowering experience.

Gaynor Rupert is around horses almost every day of her life. She is used to watching her familiar blue and white colours pass the post in first place in the most important feature races, but even she could not hold back the tears after this engaging champion claimed his biggest prize so far.

“He's the horse that stands out above all of them. He's a Trippi that I love so much and now I've got Charles Dickens.

“I feel like horses can humble you. He's certainly humbled me.”

But she also admitted going into this race filled her with trepidation.

“You have to prepare yourself for a race like this as you might go home and it's the winter of despair.

“There are so many quotes from Charles Dickens and they all apply to how you feel with a great horse like this.

“I think he proved himself today.”

A little earlier winning jockey Aldo Domeyer struggled to hold back the tears when discussing this phenomenon of the turf.

“I've ridden a lot of good horses, very good horses, champions but I said from the start there is something different about him.

“I can't explain it. We've got this connection, we've got this bond.

“He's such a special horse to me because it's more than racing and it's more than anything else.

Sometime ago it looked as if I was ready to throw in the towel but he came around and he just changed everything for me. He's just given me another kick up the backside and another chance at life.

“For him to reward me in this way without my feeling I deserve it, is something quite special and something not common in our industry,” concluded Domeyer.

The allure of Frankel motivated ailing trainer Henry Cecil to keep fighting, only giving up when the great champion retired. It is remarkable to see Charles Dickens doing the same for South African racing.