David Payne is not the sort of trainer to back horses up quickly, but the temptation of a wet Randwick track swayed him with Dowdstown Charlie.
But his master plan was almost foiled when the 64 rated horse was first emergency and had to wait until Saturday’s scratching time to gain a start in the benchmark 80 over 1400 metres.
A close second at Kembla Grange last Saturday on a heavy treack, Downstown Charlie started the $4.80 second favourite to go one better on soft ground.
“He’s earned more money than the horses he was against but he still almost didn’t make the field,” Payne said.
“He loves the wet and we’ll just keep finding wet tracks for him.
“I told Winona (Costin) to hold him up and come down the outside and she did just that.
“He has such a great finish.”
Costin brought Dowdstown Charlie from last on the turn using the outside fence as a guide and the four-year-old responded to beat Hollywood Bound ($6.50) by 1-1/4 lengths with Drago ($14) another half head third.
Dowdstown Charlie’s three wins have been on rain-affected tracks and he has now earned almost $280,000.
