By Bren O'Brien
The late, great Redoute's Choice has secured his first Northern Hemisphere Group 1 winner and Australian Bloodstock a possible G1 Cox Plate contender with Danceteria's (Fr) win in the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich on Sunday.
Danceteria is from the second of Redoute's Choice's crops from his two seasons at Haras de Bonneval in Normandy and having secured stakes victories at Maisons-Laffitte and Longchamp earlier this campaign, became the first European-bred top-flight winner, and the 35th overall Group 1 winner for the champion Australian stallion, who died in March.
He is one of four stakes-winners from the European second crop, alongside G2 Lancashire Oaks winner Enbihaar (Ire), Group 3 winner Sevenna Star (Ire) and Listed winner Lilac Fairy (Fr).
Bred by Barend Van Dalfsen, Danceteria is trained by English-based Frenchman David Menuisier.
Australian Bloodstock purchased a share in the 4-year-old after his win in the Listed Prix Jacques Laffitte at Maisons-Laffitte in April, where he defeated the highly rated Mer Et Nuages (Fr) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).
Having placed in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown in his first start for his new connections, he then comfortably won the G3 La Coupe at Longchamp.
He then took on some of Europe's best gallopers in the G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown earlier this month and caught the eye in charging into fourth behind Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).
That performance put the G1 Cox Plate firmly on his radar and the Australian Bloodstock syndicate, which contains owners from Ireland and the USA as well, took full ownership of the 4-year-old from original owner Clive Washbourn.
Danceteria was David Menuiseir's first Group 1 winner
Danceteria took the form from Sandown to Munich where he won by a length and quarter under Jamie Spencer in rainy conditions.
It was also Menuiseir's first Group 1 winner as a trainer and he said afterwards there were a wealth of options for Danceteria going forward.
“There is the Irish Champion Stakes before he has to go into quarantine but he might go to Australia and have a run there before the Cox Plate but it is a nice problem to have to discuss with the owners,” he told reporters.
“There is the Irish Champion Stakes before he has to go into quarantine but he might go to Australia and have a run there before the Cox Plate but it is a nice problem to have to discuss with the owners.” - David Menuiseir
Australian Bloodstock director Luke Murrell indicated an Australian trip is not a fait accompli for Danceteria. Competing in the G1 Irish Champion S. on September 14 would see him have to travel on a later flight to Australia, meaning he would go straight into the Cox Plate without a lead-up run, which was far from ideal.
The G1 Caulfield S. is one of several lead-up races in Australia which carries a million-dollar bonus into the Cox Plate and that would be the ideal stepping-stone, but a decision on where he goes next won’t be made for at least a week.
There is also the possibility he could head towards the Breeders' Cup meeting.
Luke Murrell and Jamie Lovett
Danceteria is a half-brother to stakes-winner Blossomtime (GB) (Shamardal {USA}). They are both from stakes-winner Bal de la Rose (Ire) (Cadeaux General {GB}), who is a half-sister to leading sire Lope de Vega (Ire) as well as three other stakes winners.
