One more black type chance before
Stolen Dance spells
Sun, 29 Mar 2015
Dennis Ryan
Stolen Dance is likely to sign off her season in the Championship Stakes at Ellerslie next month.
Talented filly Stolen Dance will have one more chance before the end of her three-year-old campaign to add
some black type to her record.
After the daughter of Alamosa had scored her fourth win from seven starts in the Lindauer Rating 75 Mile at
Ellerslie yesterday, trainer David Greene confirmed the Gr. 2 Championship Stakes back at Ellerslie on April 18
as her season finale.
That 2100-metre three-year-old feature will be Stolen Dance’s second middle-distance test after a less than
memorable Royal Stakes experience on New Year’s Day. In that Ellerslie fillies’ feature she was pulled up with
600 metres to run after rider James McDonald became concerned with her galloping action.
Five weeks later Stolen Dance bounced back with a win over 1600 metres at Matamata, followed by a second
placing over the same distance on the first day of the Auckland Cup carnival. Yesterday’s 1600-metre win carried
all the hallmarks of a filly with staying potential.
Settled midfield by rider Lynsey Satherley before moving into a challenging position soon after the home turn, she
was clearly headed by The Fire Inside. Stolen Dance wasn’t about to be denied, however, as she dug in and got
her nose in front on the line for the narrowest of victories.
“It was a really gutsy effort,” agreed Greene. “She’s always had a lot of natural ability and to see her win like that
confirms our confidence that she’ll run a bit of a trip.
“The Championship Stakes looks a good race for her next, the timing’s right and then she’ll most likely go out and
come back for the spring.”
A feisty temperament has presented challenges, particularly at Ellerslie where Stolen Dance has shown a
tendency to become unsettled before her races. Greene does, however, note some improvement in that regard.
“That was her fourth time at Ellerslie and she was definitely better. Other times she’s always been on the move
but yesterday she was a lot calmer, she even stood while being saddled.”
Stolen Dance’s fourth win for the season has been matched by fellow three-year-old filly Dramatist and Greene’s
nine-win tally has come from just 28 raceday starters for a very creditable 3.11 strike-rate.
“At this stage of the season it’s a very satisfying tally,” said Greene, who is based on the Te Rapa racecourse.
“My best performer last season was Beauty’s Beast, but when he was sold after he won that race at Randwick on
Easter weekend I wasn’t sure how this season was going to pan out”.