DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL BEATS THE BOYS IN GOLD CHALLENGE
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 10:32AM 
Click above to watch Dancewiththedevil winning the Rising Sun Gold Challenge (Gr1)
(Image : Gold Circle - Footage : Tellytrack)
RISING SUN GOLD CHALLENGE (Grade 1)
Clairwood, Turf, 1600m
13 June 2011
Michael Clower
Racing PostDancewiththedevil, trained by St John Gray and piloted by jockey Gavin Lerena won her third Grade 1 over 1600m inside 12 weeks, when coming from last to first in the final two furlongs to beat Bravura by a head.
The four-year-old was taken out of the Vodacom Durban July at last week’s forfeit stage but her owner-breeder-trainer St John Gray had no regrets.
He said: “I know some people are a bit disappointed but it was quite clear from her last run over the tough 2000 metres at Turffontein that she doesn’t have the same finish over the longer stretch so we will keep her to a mile. Hopefully next year she will see out the 2000 metres.”
Gavin Lerena, explaining his exaggerated waiting tactics - he was 14 lengths off the pace turning for home - said: “Mr Gray told me that you can’t bustle heralong. You’ve just got to let her do what she wants, and I was three lengths behind the second-last horse. But she is a phenomenal filly - every time I asked her for an effort she gave it to me.”
Gray added: “The only thing worrying me was that it looked a moderate pace - but clearly it wasn’t.”
Bravura was the only one of the leading Vodacom Durban July candidates to boost his cause.
Past Master, who started 5-2 favourite here, was in trouble turning for home and finished ninth, over nine lengths behind the winner. Big City Life fared even worse, finishing last.
RISING SUN GOLD CHALLENGE (Gr1)
Final Result
| # | LBH | Horse | Kg | MR | Dr | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.00 | DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL | 57.5 | 113 | 7 | G Lerena | St John Gray |
| 2 | 0.15 | BRAVURA | 60.0 | 110 | 1 | A Marcus | Joey Ramsden |
| 3 | 3.15 | BULSARA | 60.0 | 105 | 3 | R Danielson | Gavin van Zyl |
| 4 | 3.20 | CASTLETHORPE (AUS) | 58.5 | 105 | 6 | K Neisius | Mike Bass |
| 5 | 3.25 | BUY AND SELL | 60.0 | 110 | 9 | S Khumalo | Sean Tarry |
| 6 | 3.30 | BLUE TIGER | 60.0 | 107 | 4 | A Domeyer | Mike Bass |
| 7 | 3.40 | LION IN WINTER | 60.0 | 108 | 10 | G Hatt | Joey Ramdsen |
| 8 | 6.15 | RUSHING WIND | 60.0 | 107 | 2 | M Odendaal | Mike Bass |
| 9 | 9.40 | PAST MASTER | 60.0 | 115 | 8 | G Schlechter | Darryl Hodgson |
| 10 | 10.40 | CAPTAIN’S WILD | 60.0 | 108 | 12 | A Delpech | Mike de Kock |
| 11 | 15.65 | KAVANAGH | 58.5 | 106 | 11 | K Shea | Mike de Kock |
| 12 | 15.90 | BIG CITY LIFE | 60.0 | 114 | 5 | A Fortune | Glen Kotzen |
Extract from Racing Post
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