It is amazing that one can have two foals from the same sire and mare, both talented, and while one wins the Derby over 2450m the other can barely eke out 1400m.
That is the case with Aragosta and Mrs Browning, both by Rafeef out of Miss Galidora, and while the former won the Grade 1 SA Derby and more recently the Listed Cape Summer Stayers Handicap over 2450m and 2500m respectively, Mrs Browning has just come off a victory in the Grade 3 Carry On Alice Stakes over 1160m.
Now we have a third member of the family and although by a different sire, Vercingetorix, is also out of the daughter of Galileo, Miss Galidora.
Like Aragosta, three-year-old filly Outer Dimension is trained by Mike de Kock and at this stage of her career remains a maiden. She has now raced six times and for two thirds and two fourths.
However, De Kock appears to have found the perfect race for his charge when she lines up in Race 3 at the Vaal on Thursday, 21 December, a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 2000m.
It appears from her previous runs that she seems to have picked up the characteristics of her half-brother and is better over a bit of ground.
This is not the strongest of fields and Outer Dimension does look way better than the majority of her opposition. In addition, there does appear to have been much improvement in her return following a short break. Two runs back she raced over 1600m and the blinkers were removed.
Outer Dimension was also drawn No 13 of the 14 runners and had to be dropped out, but she ran on strongly, producing the fastest 400m to finish to end up a two-length third behind the winner.
She followed that up with a race over 1800m and once again came from off the pace to finish fourth, four lengths behind winner Azaleas For All.
This 2000m should be ideal for her and with in-form jockey Denis Schwarz in the irons, Outer Dimension looks ready to notch up her first win.
Clive Robinson
