New Zealand trainer Chris Gibbs will be in Sydney to oversee Danzdanzdance run in the George Main Stakes while at the same time keeping an eye on Group One action at home.
Gibbs will leave it to training partner Michelle Bradley to saddle up Hello It’s Me in the Windsor Park Plate at Hastings where she takes on New Zealand champion Melody Belle.
“I will be looking everywhere because I still have a share in Volkstok’n’barrell who is racing in Melbourne,” Gibbs said.
“The winner of the race he is in gets entry to the 2019 Caulfield Cup which would be something.”
The winner of the 2015 Rosehill Guineas, Volkstok’n’barrell had a stint in Singapore with Gibbs’ former training partner Donna Logan but failed to handle the environment and is now in Melbourne with Danny O’Brien and runs in Saturday’s Group Three MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) .
Danzdanzdance ran fifth to Melody Belle in the Tarzino Trophy on August 31, beaten 2-3/4 lengths, at her first start this campaign.
At her previous start in April, she was well beaten in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick won by Winx after running third in the Ranvet Stakes behind Avilius and He’s Eminent.
The Queen Elizabeth prompted a gear change with the mare now fitted with a tongue-tie which Gibbs hopes can help her show her best as she did to win the Group One Zabeel Classic in December.
“She is a fizzy mare so how she is in the parade ring before a race tells us a lot,” Gibbs said.
“But when she came back after racing against Winx she had her tongue dangling over the side of her mouth which might have freaked her out a bit.
“We think it is an important gear change for her as she is a bit hyper.”
One thing that is of no concern is Sydney’s wet weather with Randwick rated heavy on Wednesday.
Danzdanzdance has one third from six tries on good tracks and four wins and five placings from 10 starts on soft or heavy.
“She ran third in the Derby here on a good track so she has handled it but she does prefer the sting out of the ground,” Gibbs said.
“Hopefully she can settle and run a good race. We will be guided by the weather for the rest of her campaign but she has travelled well and settled in well and the soft track is to her liking.”
Danzdanzdance, to be ridden by Tommy Berry, is at $15 in George Main Stakes odds with Avilius the $3.40 favourite ahead of Dreamforce at $4.80 and Happy Clapper at $5.
