Danzdanzdance is deadly
FOUR-YEAR-OLD mare Danzdanzdance made light work of her rivals in the $200,000 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham and could be New Zealand racing’s next weight-forage star.
The Chris Gibbs and Michelle Bradley-trained mare was patiently ridden by Opie Bosson yesterday, who watched many of his rivals jostle for prominent early positions, before unleashing a powerful burst to score by four lengths from warhorse Authentic Paddy.
Danzdanzdance, who is raced by a group of owners headed by breeder and syndicator Kylie Bax, showed the benefit of a freshen-up after a luckless third placing in the Livamol Classic in early October.
‘‘She was outstanding,’’ Gibbs said. ‘‘You’re always wondering if you’ve got them right and she was a bit above herself today, which scared me a little bit, but Opie rode her beautifully. There was a ton of pace that just set it up beautifully for her.’’ The daughter of Mastercraftsman is now likely to press on to the Zabeel Classic (2000m), at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, before a campaign across the Tasman is considered. ‘‘We will probably have to start planning something for Sydney as a fresh campaign,’’ Gibbs said.
‘‘Theway she goes fresh, we probably have to look at that, but that is something that Kylie and ourselves will talk about.’’ The victory capped a stellar day for champion hoop Bosson, who earlier partnered Aotea Lad to win the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m), and also scored in the last aboard Lincoln Raider.
‘‘She is a very smartmare and it was some training effort,’’ Bosson said.
‘‘I was a little bit skeptical coming into it fresh-up over a mile with a bit of cut in the RACE IMAGES PN ground. It was a bit pushy [early], but I got in a three-wide position and wasn’t going to be pushed around. Turning for home I was just hoping I wasn’t going to get there too soon, but she is a very classy mare.
‘‘I didn’t realise the turn of foot she had.’’ For Bax, it was the perfect result for her syndication business, in addition to a success her family could savour.
‘‘I’m still shaking. I cannot explain the excitement. We shouted down the roof of the grandstand. It’s lucky to still be standing.
‘‘It is wonderful to have such a great group of owners. Sharing the experience is incredible.’’