Dances On Stars will follow the same path trodden by stablemate Hot Snitzel and head to Queensland for a winter campaign following his first-up victory in Saturday’s Group Three Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick.
The 1100-metre race changed complexion at the start when $1.65 favourite and expected leader Ichihara settled near the rear after being slow to jump.
Once that happened, Glyn Schofield on Dances On Stars ($6.50) took the initiative, holding a forward position before hitting the front early in the straight and fighting strongly to hold out Agueda ($5) by a neck with the luckless Ichihara another 1-/14 lengths away third.
Winning trainer Gerald Ryan’s Hot Snitzel finished third in the Kindergarten Stakes 12 months ago and went on to win the Ken Russell Memorial and Sires’ Produce Stakes in Brisbane.
Ryan confirmed Dances On Stars would be set on the same path.
“The Ken Russell Memorial is in a month and then there’s the Doomben Classic,” Ryan said.
“It will be the same as Hot Snitzel last year but we probably won’t go to the TJ (Smith). I don’t think he will run a mile (1600m).”
While Dances on Stars enjoyed all the favours, punters were left lamenting the bad luck of Ichihara.
Jockey Corey Brown told stewards the filly failed to muster her customary speed after dwelling at the start then he was bailed up behind runners in the straight, eventually angling Ichihara to the outside.
“Then the moment I’ve got over Glyn’s back (on Dances On Stars) he’s run out and Hugh Bowman (Agueda) has run in,” Brown said.
Chief steward Ray Murrihy was sympathetic to Brown’s plight.
“You couldn’t think so many things could go wrong in 200 metres of a race could you?” Murrihy said.
Schofield said the advantage of the fence probably helped Dances On Stars clinch the victory.
“When the favourite missed the kick I made sure I was more positive than I originally was going to be,” Schofield said.
“I held the fence and made sure no-one crossed me, especially the outsider, and that’s probably where we won us the race.”
