Vile sets sights on juvenile feature
Gary Vile promises to be a trainer to be reckoned with in one of the final black type juvenile prizes of the season.
The Awapuni conditioner is planning a two-pronged attack on the Listed Castletown Stakes at Wanganui on June 3 with smart debutante Dance For Money and Hard Merchandize, who has already proved competitive against the best of his age group.
Dance For Money made life difficult for herself before winning at Whanganui on Sunday, the Showcasing filly having got away from rider Rebecca Goldsbury before the start of the two-year-old event there.
‘‘She just got a bit of a scare and darted around and was off, but it all turned out OK in the end,’’ Vile said. ‘‘She’s been a pretty straight forward filly and had a couple of jump-outs and a trial. The only surprise to me was the ease of her win.’’
Out of a half-sister to the former champion Hong Kong miler Armada, Dance For Money jumped straight to the front and she was never headed on her way to a clear-cut defeat of the favourite Satin Belt.
‘‘We’ll look for a bit of black type now and probably head toward the Castletown Stakes,’’ Vile said.
The son of Burgundy was a debut winner in the spring before he was put aside and he returned to run third at Trentham in March before he finished fifth in the Group I Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes.
Vile’s Listed New Zealand St Leger winner Rock On has returned home from Australia where he ran third in the Chairman’s Handicap at Randwick and filled a similar placing in a Flemington handicap.
‘‘He’s good and he’ll have a few weeks in the paddock before we do anything with him,’’ Vile said.
A decision as to whether the Group I winner Sofia Rosa races on or is retired to stud will be made later this year.
‘‘She’s spelling now and will come back for the spring and we’ll assess her then,’’ Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh said.
- NZ Racing Desk