BELATED CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR DENNIS DRIER YARD

Dance At Daylight
(Photo : Gold Circle)

DANCE AT DAYLIGHT
CHRISTMAS HANDICAP (GR3) 2009

The Dennis Drier yard received a belated Christmas gift at Clairwood on Boxing Day when Dance At Daylight took victory in the Christmas Handicap (Grade 3) over 1600m.

Jumping from gate 15, jockey Alec Forbes positioned the son of Rambo Dancer a few lengths off the pace in sixth. Forced to race three-wide thoughout, and without cover for most of the trip, Forbes held off for as long as possible before asking Dance At Daylight for his best effort in the straight. The response came in abundance with the gelding quickening clear to win comfortably by two from Select The Star, Lion’s Blood and Dynamite Mike.

Assistant trainer Stuart Ferry was complimentary of the ride and acknowledged that Alec Forbes had built a good relationship with Dance At Daylight, knowing exactly what to do in the straight.

This victory takes Dance At Daylight’s race tally to 5 wins and 6 places from 17 starts and his earning to R424,880.

The five-year-old is one of 19 South African stakes winners sired by the Northern Dancer stallion Rambo Dancer, who commenced his stallion career in Britain before taking up stud duties here at Summerhill in 1996. Best known as the sire of Gr.1 hero Pick Six, Rambo Dancer died in 2005.

Dance At Daylight is the first foal of Norse Woman (Northern Guest), a winning half-sister to Warning Zone (Elliodor), the Equus champion juvenile filly of 2002, who subsequently became a stakes winner in the US. The mare’s last foal is a yearling filly by Kahal.

Grandam, War Women, who produced six winners from eight runners, is a half-sister to triple Gr.1 hero Record Edge (Sunny North) and to Gr.1 Gold Bowl victor Golden Peak (Peacetime). This is a branch of the Birch Brothers’ famed Drohsky family, from which descend the tough Cape Guineas hero Ocean City, Two Cities (Gr.2 Bull Brand International) and Tammany Hall (Gr.3 Republic Day Handicap).

Congratulations must go to Dance At Daylight’s breeder, Chris Saunders from Invermooi Stud, as well as to owners Miles Dally and Gary Harris. Credit must also be paid to War Woman’s breeders, retired High Court Judge Alan Magid and Benji Jonsson.

More International comments on IMBONGI and HOT RECEPTION

Summerhill Stud (Nick Goss)

In its Friday report on South African Racing, the European Bloodstock News has paid further tribute to Summerhill Stud’s two graded stakes winners of last weekend.

A rampant Imbongi humbled a star-studded field of older horses in last weekend’s Gr.2 Drill Hall Stakes and became the first three-year-old to win this 1400m race since champion Bold Tropic all of 21 years ago in 1979.

Unleashing a powerful charge up the centre of the short Greyville straight, the chesnut flashed past stable companion Bold Ellinore (Kahal) to score with authority to complete the exacta for trainer Mike de Kock.

Horse of The Year Pocket Power, having his first start since January, caught the eye when he stormed into fourth place over a distance short of his best.

Imbongi has rapidly risen through the ranks since being gelded and completed a fine Gr.2 hat-trick here, following victories in the Gauteng Guineas in March and the KZN equivalent a fortnight ago. The mile Gr.1 Gold Challenge at Clairwood on 14th June looks a likely next target.

Bred at Mick Goss’ Summerhill Stud, Imbongi is by far the best progeny of Nureyev stallion Russian Revival. His dam, unraced Garden Verse (Foveros), boasts seven winners from as many runners. In addition to Imbongi, she is also dam of Gr.3 winner Spring Garland (Rambo Dancer), Group-placed duo Prima Versa (Jallad) and Full Spectrum (National Emblem), who is the dam of Gr.2 winner Oracle News (London News), runner-up to Hot Reception in the Gr.3 Poinsettia Stakes on Sunday. The last known foal of Garden Verse is a yearling colt by National Emblem.

Hot Reception completed a fine weekend for Summerhill Stud when she put up a career-best effort with a pillar to post victory in Sunday’s Gr.3 Poinsettia Stakes at Scottsville. Much of the attention was focused on well known graded stakes performers like Rat Burana and Ethereal Lady, but, none could cope with the daughter of Muhtafal, who maintained her advantage to the line to score by the best part of a length from Oracle News and Soft Landing (Jet Master).

Trained by Herman Brown, she is the latest stakes winner sired by the Summerhill-based son of Mr Prospector and is his fourth stakes winner out of a mare by erstwhile stud companion, the late Northern Guest.

An own-sister to dual Gr.3 Christmas Handicap winner The Waltz, Hot Reception is one of six winners produced from the prolific Triple Tempo, who is also the dam of Listed stakes winner Dot Dot Dash (Desert Team) and Gr.3-placed Take Two (French Stress).

Muhtafal indeed the Chosen One

Must be something about that ‘lucky cat’, the meaning behind his Arabic Name (‘The Chosen One’) or simply a reflection of just how good this stallion is.

‘The General’ has always commanded immense respect from those who have worked with him (he is the lone stallion allowed to be paraded on the right hand side lawn of the stallion barn for example … the others have to stand on the left).

This season Muhtafal has come out firing. 

Three weeks ago it was FIRST AGAIN winning the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe Challenge.

Last week it was Oaks winner VEILED ESSENCE running a nose second in the Gr 2 Premier’s Trophy.

 Yesterday it was THE WALTZ, a runaway winner in the Gr 3 Christmas Handicap.

His biggest fan, Summerhill’s front of house - Megan Romeyn - wants to move the switchboard into his paddock so she can watch him all day long. It would make for a decent blog post I have always thought. Megan would probably just say that horses have a way of working their way into your soul.