La Danseuse Rouge waltzes to victory in Lightning Stakes
Cliff Brown’s three-year-old opens her stakes account with Exploring scratched at the barrier on veterinary advice
In the literal French translation that reads ‘The Red Dancer’, La Danseuse Rouge (Manhattan Rain) showed plenty of moves to etch her name on the illustrious roll of honour in yesterday’s Lightning Stakes (Listed, 1050m) at Morphettville.
The final stakes race of the Australian racing calendar has previous winners including 2016 scorer Viddora (I Am Invincible) and 2018 winner Nature Strip (Nicconi), with that pair going on to win 11 Group 1 races and an Everest (1200m) between them.
La Danseuse Rouge, a daughter of Geisel Park stallion Manhattan Rain (Encosta De Lago), had not scored since breaking her maiden at Sandown-Hillside on September 7, but boasted placings in last year’s Red Roses Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) and Thoroughbred Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m).
Not seen since finishing last of 15 runners in March’s Sunlight Classic (Listed, 1100m) at Flemington, the filly was sent off the $4.40 favourite, having been the subject of late support in the market after previous favourite Exploring (Brazen Beau) – who would have been aiming to become just the third two-year-old to win the race in the past 15 years – was scratched at the barriers on veterinary advice.
Ridden by Jake Noonan for the first time, the Cliff Brown-trained La Danseuse Rouge travelled best of all turning for home and, once asked for full effort, came home well down the centre of the track to defeat Zoustar (Northern Meteor) filly Sweetened by three-quarters of a length.
There was a further nose back to Boognish (Sooboog) in third and Jukebox (Snitzel) filly Sixteen Reasons filled fourth spot, another two lengths behind, providing a 2-3-4 for the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea stable.
“The horse next to her went off in the gates. I put her straight out and gave her a good break,” Brown, who trained 570 winners during a 12-year stint in Singapore, said about the winning filly’s previous start in the Sunlight Classic.
“I thought she was overdoing things. Tony Lane, my assistant, suggested putting the barrier blanket on, and it would be sign]ificant for her, and he was 100 per cent correct.
“There is no game plan, she is Group–placed and a Listed winner, which is great for a filly.
“It’s fantastic for Jake, you would not meet a nicer person.”
Bred by Blue Gum Farm and Imperial Bloodstock, La Danseuse Rouge (3 f ex Margaux by Exceed And Excel) is the first foal out of Margaux (Exceed And Excel), a winner in Singapore.
Margaux has an unraced two-year-old sister to La Danseuse Rouge named Petit Manhattan, who is also in training with Brown, and a yearling colt by Needs Further (Encosta De Lago). The mare was covered by Palace Pier (Kingman) last spring.
La Danseuse Rouge is the 18th individual stakers winner for Manhattan Rain from 394 starters and he will stand for $8,250 (inc GST) in 2023.
Randwick trifecta for champion I Am Invincible
Meanwhile, at Randwick, Yarraman Park’s flagship stallion I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) added the proverbial cherry to the top of his cake as he brought up a trifecta in the ATC Thank You Trainers Handicap (1100m) to retain his Champion Sire crown in style.
Having always had a strong hand, siring six of the 11 runners in the 1100-metre event, it was I Am Invinclble’s million-dollar colt Caballus who took the honours.
Providing James McDonald with a first winner since returning from an overseas break, the Chris Waller-trained juvenile went into the race having finished a luckless eighth on his debut over 1250 metres at Canterbury Park on July 12, beaten less than two lengths at the finish.
Allowed to settle back in the field by McDonald, Caballus made headway out wide turning for home, before running down Estriella (I Am Invincible), who started as the $2.90 favourite following an impressive debut success, and battled well to deny that rival by a nose.
“It’s good to have James back,” Waller said. “He did a great job there, put him into a beautiful spot, got him into a nice rhythm and just kept him rolling.
“We just wanted to get his first win out of the way then join up where we can.
“He ran very well on debut, he just had no luck. I think the positive outcome of that is he had a good experience, and today he knew what he was here for.”
The front two pulled a further three lengths clear of the third-placed Shaken, who also came into the race having won nicely on debut.
McDonald is hopeful that Caballus can prove a smart three-year-old, with the Up And Coming Stakes (Gr 3, 1300m) at Rosehill on August 26 a likely target.
“He’s a cracking horse, a really good moving horse, good attitude so it will take him a long way,” McDonald said.
“It’s nice to knock off a nice, sharp two-year-old race with him and hopefully the three-year-old season is good to him.”
Raced by Coolmore and partners, Caballus (2 c ex Calming Influence by Commands) was a $1 million purchase for Tom Magnier from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
He is the fourth four foal to race out of the Group 3-placed mare Calming Influence (Commands) making him a brother to winner Covalent and a half-brother to winners Call Me Legend (More Than Ready) and Kamea (Sebring). Calming Influence herself is out of the stakes winner Calming (Zeditave).
In winning yesterday’s contest, Caballus became the 199th winner this season for I Am Invincible, and also his 20th Australian two year-old winner. Later in the day, the super sire brought up his double century of winners when Jack The Lad scored at Morphettville. I Am Invincible is fully booked at a fee of $302,500 (inc GST) this spring.
Title Fighter delivers knockout punch at Moonee Valley
Clayton Douglas may already have a stable star in The Everest winner (1200m) and two-time Group 1 scorer Giga Kick (Scissor Kick), but the Mornington-based trainer seems to have high hopes for juvenile gelding Title Fighter (Lean Mean Machine) and it’s not hard to see why after he made a winning debut at Moonee Valley yesterday.
A son of Aquis Farm’s first–season sire Lean Mean Machine (Zoustar), Title Fighter was drawn out wide in barrier 11 but had the able services of jockey Craig Williams, with Douglas having been very keen to book his Everest-winning partner for yesterday’s contest.
“I remember being in Spain and I got a phone call from Clayton, and I thought it would be all about Giga Kick, but he brought up about two two-year-olds and this was one of them,” Williams said.
“I watched the replays and asked, ‘is he just fast’? and he said no, ‘he’s fast and good’.”
Douglas would be proved right, as Title Fighter jumped away quickly from his outside berth and was soon in front under Williams, with the pair making all in the 1000-metre handicap to hold on well from Epic Proportions (Better Than Ready) and score by just under half-a-length.
“It was a good training effort from Clayton. He brought the horse here on Tuesday morning, he put blinkers on him, but he had no favours from the draw,” Williams said.
“Because he had him fit and he’s fast, he was able to sustain that speed throughout.”
Having made a habit of acquiring inexpensive recruits, Title Fighter is no exception for Douglas. Sold by breeders Ponderosa Park to Bendigo Bloodstock for $24,000 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale in 2021, the gelding was then bought back by his breeders and Intel Bloodstock for $20,000 at last year’s Inglis Ready2Race Sale.
“In my stable we don’t have the big, high-priced yearlings, the Exceed And Excel’s etc,” Douglas said.
“We’ve put the time into him, and I have to pay a big credit to my team at home.
“I’ve got a good bunch behind me and to get a win like this with a new client is great. He’s a fast horse, but he knew what his job was all about.
“He had a bit of a gawk around on Tuesday and it looked like he floated a bit until that horse got to the back of him, but then he finished it off nicely.”
Title Fighter (2 g ex If Not Now When by Artie Schiller) is the first winner out of the Artie Schiller (El Prado) mare If Not Now When, who died after leaving two foals.
If Not Now When won the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush (1000m) at Bendigo on her debut before then landing the $100,000 VOBIS Gold Plate (1000m) at Cranbourne at her second start for Henry Dwyer. She then went on to make a further 23 starts without winning.
Lean Mean Machine now has three winners in his debut season, with Title Fighter joining unbeaten filly Material Dreams and Doomben scorer Freeman. The stallion will stand the upcoming breeding season for a fee of $13,200 (inc GST).