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Dragon Flyer shapes as a rating’s special in The Mark Agency Maiden Plate at Canberra on Thursday.
Dragon Flyer has placed in each of his four career outings to date, the latest when rattling home at Gosford over 1100m first up on April 6.
It was a highly encouraging performance by the son of Pendragon who now appears poised to strike in The Mark Agency Maiden Plate at Canberra on Thursday.
Dragon Flyer’s first up run yielded a Timeform figure of 76, two pounds shy of a master rating achieved at Goulburn back in November 2012 during his second career outing.
With added fitness second up and rising to 1300m, Dragon Flyer is largely expected to improve on that last start Timeform rating.
Further in his favour is the fact Dragon Flyer won’t have to improve on his first up figure to account for this field.
Using weight adjusted 12 month figures, Dragon Flyer has an eight pound advantage over his nearest rival.
On weight adjusted 50 day Timeform ratings he holds a nine pound advantage on who shapes as his main danger on Thursday, Our Beni Boy.
Our Beni Boy has performed well this campaign, having fought out the finish in each of his three runs.
The gelding endured a tough run in transit at Goulburn last start yet still fought on well to claim fourth in some testing conditions.
The Neville Layt-trained gelding should be around peak fourth run from a spell and while he probably has to run a new master rating to beat Dragon Flyer, it isn’t out of the question.
The Barbara Joseph and Paul Jones-trained Given No Hope while rating well shy of Dragon Flyer, did show encouraging signs on resuming at the Sapphire Coast.
A son of Redoute’s Choice, the gelding is a half brother to Group 1 winner Polar Success.
After a poor debut, Given No Hope was put out and given time to mature.
His second on resuming at the Sapphire Coast suggests the penny is beginning to drop and can build on the performance here.
Given No Hope can improve on the run and is capable of fighting out the finish.
The improvement he would need to be winning though based on Dragon Flyer’s last start Timeform rating may be too steep however.
