Ascot, G2 Ted Van Heemst S., $250,000, 2100m
Race summary
Last-start G1 Kingston Town Classic winner Truly Great (Dundeel {NZ}) was the $1.45 favourite to deliver a repeat result in the Ted Van Heemst, and the 5-year-old made it look easy.
Truly Great was given a perfect ride by William Pike, settling one off the rail in fourth spot as Trap For Fools (Poet’s Voice {GB}) took up his predicted front-running role.
Trap For Fools began to increase the tempo coming up to the home turn and increased his margin, but Pike was prepared and had already started to creep forward out wide.
Truly Great zeroed in on Trap For Fools in the home straight and ran him down, sailing past and opening up a winning margin of 1.75l.
Trap For Fools had the rest of the field covered, taking second place and finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of the third-placed Platoon (Playing God).
The Ted Van Heemst was the eighth win of Truly Great’s 13-start career, and it took him past $1 million in stakes for owner-breeders Bob and Sandra Peters and trainers Grant and Alana Williams.
Pedigree notes
Truly Great is by Dundeel (NZ), who stands for a service fee of $66,000 (inc GST) at Arrowfield. A former New Zealand Horse of the Year and Champion Middle-Distance Male in Australia, Dundeel is now the sire of 111 winners from 202 runners, with 13 individual stakes winners.
When Truly Great won the Kingston Town Classic earlier this month, he became Dundeel’s fifth individual Group 1 winner, joining Atyaab, Castelvecchio, Super Seth and Yourdeel (NZ).
Truly Great is out of Truly Special (Jeune {GB}), who won three races from 1400 to 2200 metres. Truly Special is out of the Listed Morphettville Guineas winner Reigning Belle (Military Plume {NZ}), who is also the dam of G3 Rain Lover Plate placegetter Jeune’s Reign (Jeune {GB}).
Truly Special has a perfect record at stud with four winners from four foals to race, including two stakes winners. Special Alert (Not A Single Doubt) won the G3 West Australian Oaks in 2018.
Since producing Truly Great in 2015, Truly Special has produced the unraced Truly Inspired, Special Deal and Truly Blessed, all by Dundeel. She returned to Dundeel again and produced a filly foal in the spring of 2020.
Ascot, Listed Agent Fresh Starstruck Classic, $100,000, 1600m
Race summary
Dance Music (War Chant {USA}) made a one-act affair of the fillies and mares’ feature from the moment the gates opened.
Ridden by Brad Parnham, the 5-year-old showed explosive speed out of the gates and went straight to the lead – a position she never surrendered.
Dance Music dominated the race from the front, opening up a commanding lead coming up to the home turn and putting herself well out of the chasers’ reach.
That margin may have diminished in the closing stages of the race to be only 1l at the finish, but Dance Music was never in any danger of defeat.
In a tight finish for the minor placings, She’s Alight (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) edged out Naughty By Nature (Trade Fair {GB}), Chantrea (Puissance De Lune {Ire}) and Special Choice (Redoute’s Choice).
Dance Music has now had 22 starts for 10 wins, seven placings and $712,195 in stakes for owners Botsky Pty Ltd and Hollymount Stud. This was her third stakes win, having previously captured the Listed Placid Ark S. and Northam Cup.
Pedigree notes
Dance Music was bred by Botsky Ptd Ltd in partnership with Matthew Sandblom.
She is by War Chant (USA), who is the sire of 542 winners from 768 runners including 44 individual black-type winners.
Standing at Yarradale Stud for a 2020 service fee of $11,000 (inc GST), War Chant has been particularly successful in this part of the world with 116 winners from 185 Australian runners. There have been 10 individual stakes winners, headed by the G1 William Reid S. heroine Silent Sedition.
The dam of Dance Music is Fast Flowing (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won two races and is a half-sibling to the winners Swisswatch (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Sir Reginald (NZ) (Red Giant {USA}).
Fast Flowing’s dam is a half-sister to the Listed Debutant S. winner The Rhine (Quest for Fame {GB}), while grandam Whistling (NZ) (Ace Of Aces {USA}) won the Listed Tristarc S. and produced the stakes winners Syrinx (Desert Prince {Ire}), Whistle Up (Canny Lad) and Noise (Quest For Fame {GB}).
Dance Music was Fast Flowing’s first foal. She has subsequently had the unraced Black Parrakeeta (Blackfriars), the unplaced Dance Shoes (Bull Point), a filly by Bull Point and a colt by Deep Field. She was not served in 2019, but went to Territories (Ire) in 2020.
