Quote:
Originally Posted by my miss storm cat
Yeah well I know he won't win but good luck to Mentality.  |
I always play this horse so I'd like to thank him for paying me back. Wasn't sure what to do so played him across the board. (He finished 2nd).
ON the winner...
Dances On Waves wins Villiers Stakes 18 Dec 2010
By Alex Steedman - racingandsports.com.au
Stable favourite Dances On Waves with the assistance of jockey Brenton Avdulla has overcome an outside gate to record a maiden stakes-level success with victory in the $175,000 Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
With no horse having won the Villiers Stakes from a barrier wider than 9 since the John O’Shea-trained On A High (18) in 2003, it appeared Dances On Waves had it all against her as she lined up for a first stakes level tilt at Randwick this afternoon.
Previously unbeaten this campaign after two starts, Brenton Avdulla and the mare plotted a successful path around Randwick from their wide barrier (16) and fought out a slogging finish with Mentality to win the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) by a head.
The Hawkes-trained Mentality was gallant for second while Snow Alert ran on well at his return to racing in Sydney and finished a three-quarter length third.
Anthony Cummings’ latest acquisition and heavily backed Rhythm Of Dance sat on the speed during the run however tired and was swamped over the concluding stages to finish midfield.
Today’s winning performance by Dances On Waves was a special victory for those involved with the mare who was away from racing for over a year after she contracted pneumonia and subsequently the debilitating condition scours in April 2009.
The mares tail was lost during the illness which is a constant reminder of what she overcame before her successful return to racing.
“She is going terrific,” Ryan said
“It has been well documented the problems she has had and I didn’t think when she started racing this time she would win a Villiers at her third run back but she has just kept going forward, forward and forward.
“It is a fairytale really. It is great for the owners and is great for the horse.”
“I’ve loved today. I really have a lot of faith in the mare and am just glad she has been able to come back from where she was and win a good race.
“The owners talked me into running her [in the Villiers] on Monday because I wanted to go to the other race."
Dances On Waves has now recorded five wins from 10 career starts with her prizemoney earnings now well clear of $200,000.
“She has gotten into this with 52kg and has had ten runs in her life,” Ryan said.
“Her dry track form is exceptional. She has won five and ran second in the other one out of six starts on dry tracks.”
Ryan was also full of praise for young jockey Brenton Avdulla who helped the five-year-old Anabaa mare successfully negotiate barrier 16.
“It was amazing,” Ryan said.
“It is amazing when a kid is in form, they’re in form. I’ve said for a long time this kid is not far behind the better ones here in Sydney and he is going the right way.”
It is Avdulla’s third win aboard Dances On Waves from as many starts.
Today’s Villiers Stakes triumph was in stark contrast to the previous successes the pair had enjoyed where they jumped from the inside gate on both occasions.
While Avdulla had the mare positioned midfield and 3 deep during the run in this afternoon's $175,000 feature event, he was able to find cover from the wide barrier.
Dances On Waves loomed in the early part of the straight before drawing level with Mentality within the final furlong.
An enthralling finish then ensued with Dances On Waves and Mentality going stride for stride before the Gerald Ryan-trained mare edged clear over the concluding stages.
“I had no idea from 17,” Avdulla said.
“The way things worked out, you wish you could draw 17 and end up like that all of the time.
“I saw a gap in between them midfield and I thought if I don’t go now I’ll never get in. I quickly darted in and was able to get three off and have a bit of cover. I had Mentality in front of me so a had a good one to follow. I was fairly comfortable a long way out.
“Coming to the turn I was pretty confident and when I let her down she got into a duel with Mentality but she came off best with no weight.
“I probably hit the front a bit too soon but to her credit she is a class act and kept on going.
“I have always had a lot of time for her, Gerald and her owners have always had a lot of time for her.”