Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
While Melbourne’s biggest dance was ongoing at Flemington on Tuesday, in Sydney it was the inaugural running of The Big Dance over the mile at Royal Randwick. Newcastle trainer Kris Lees had an arsenal of four in the race, and he proved the winner with the 5-year-old gelding Rustic Steel.
Qualification for the $2 million The Big Dance was via a series of qualifying country races, which kicked off with the Goulburn Cup in October last year and wrapped up with the Big Dance Wild Card on October 15.
The first horse over the line stood to pocket $1,050,000, and Rustic Steel’s qualification came through his victory in the Listed Scone Cup on May 13.
Since then, the gelding had been unplaced in three races in town, but he showed enormous fortitude on Tuesday to hold Cisco Bay (So You Think {NZ}) at length in a close finish.
The equal favourite Sibaaq (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was unplaced (fourth), as was the Chris Waller-trained German import Quality Time (Ger) (Amaron {GB}), who had earned his place with a win in this year’s Port Macquarie Cup.
Over the Randwick mile on a Good 4, Rustic Steel posted a winning time of 1:33.87, the last 600 metres in 34.82s. The Deep Field gelding brought his win tally to eight in 17 starts, with his career beginning on this week two years ago with a debut win at this track on a Heavy 8.
Kris Lees and Russell Balding after winning the $2 million Big Dance at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He was a bit forgotten before the race, but he’d come into work with this race in mind,” Kris Lees told Jason Richardson in the post-race broadcast. “He had a minor setback early in his prep and we just thought he was a run behind in his prep. But he really peaked today and I was holding my breath the last 50 metres. I went off a bit early, as they say.”
Rustic Steel, owned by the Wanless family, looked the winner when he got rolling in the last 100 metres, albeit Cisco Bay made The Big Dance a proper spectacle. The race-going public had come in large numbers for the feature event and, by most accounts, it was a lively day trackside.
“My wife and daughter are here today so it’s a great thrill,” Lees said. “For the Wanless family, who have been so supportive of our stable pretty much since I started training, to win a $2 million race means an awful lot.”
“For the Wanless family, who have been so supportive of our stable pretty much since I started training, to win a $2 million race means an awful lot.” - Kris Lees
Tuesday’s firm track was a new-enough situation for Rustic Steel given the horse had raced on Heavy or Soft ground in his last nine races bar one occasion. Lees admitted he was concerned about that, but in the end, class prevailed.
“He got here in really good order,” the trainer said. “I think the draw was vital. Nash had a lapful of horse for a long way and it was a pretty rough, tightly packed race. I could see that if he got a bit of clear air he was always going to extend nicely, and once he got out he was really strong.”
Post-race emotions were high after The Big Dance which becomes, alongside The Kosciuszko, a very significant addition to the country-race calendar in New South Wales. Lees was quick to highlight this on behalf of provincial and country ranks.
“It’s been so well-received,” the trainer said. “Peter V’Landys and his whole team, what they’re doing for racing is giving people such great opportunities with all horses. We’re the beneficiaries today.”
“Peter V’Landys and his whole team, what they’re doing for racing is giving people such great opportunities with all horses. We’re the beneficiaries today.” - Kris Lees
From winning jockey Nash Rawiller, it was a similar sentiment.
“Full credit to Sydney racing, it’s done an amazing job,” he said. “What Mr V’Landys has done for racing up here, to be able to come to Melbourne Cup Day and have a race like this that you can win is a huge thrill.”
A Ten Carat pedigree
Rustic Steel kicked off his career in 2020 with a stack of expectation, which largely came from his excellent pedigree.
He is the fifth foal from Ten Carat Rock (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who herself is a daughter of Shantha’s Choice (Canny Lad) and, as such, a half-sister to Redoute’s Choice, Platinum Scissors and Echoes Of Rain. She is a full sister to Sliding Cube, the dam of Rubick.
Rustic Steel as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
With this pedigree, Rustic Steel was consigned by Newgate Farm to the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and he was sold to Tasman Bloodstock for $500,000 to be raced eventually by the Wanless family.
His dam, Ten Carat Rock, was originally a $750,000 purchase for Newgate Farm at the Teeley Assets Dispersal in 2014. She was then on-sold by Newgate at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, at which she was picked up by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) for GSA Bloodstock for $400,000.
She was carrying Rustic Steel at that point, and the mare has remained in the ownership of GSA since.
Rustic Steel (blue cap) holds off Cisco Bay to win the $2 million The Big Dance at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
She’s had a filly by Flying Artie called Carartie, a colt by Dundeel (NZ) called Majority Interest, and she is due to Castelvecchio this spring.
The Little Dance for Dryden
The Dance program at Royal Randwick continued on Tuesday with the $500,000 The Little Dance, run on the same card over the same course and distance. Like The Big Dance, it was a bumper field, filled with horses that had placed in qualifying races for the bigger $2 million race.
The race favourite was the Chris Waller gelding Solar Apex (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was very close to victory when he lost by 0.26l to the winner, the Keith Dryden-trained Dream Runner (Wilful Default). Dream Runner had been second to Aleas (GB) (Archipenko {USA}) in the Listed Wagga Cup in early May.
The 6-year-old gelding is now a winner of six races from 22 starts, with a further seven placings and over $500,000 in prizemoney. His victory on Tuesday was a big win for his apprentice rider, Tyler Schiller, also.
Dream Runner was bred and is raced by Meringo Stud Farm, and he was the final foal from the mare Sweet Submission (Mr Henrysee {USA}). Sweet Submission was a daughter of the Aloe (Ire) mare Moon Scent, who was the dam of three stakes winners, notably the five-time Group 1 winner of the late eighties and early nineties, Planet Ruler (Kaoru Star).
Canberra trainer Keith Dryden, who has nursed Dream Runner through his career, was trackside for the important win.
Keith Dryden and Tyler Schiller after winning the $500,000 The Little Dance at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“I can’t thank Tyler enough,” the trainer said. “He said this horse was a good thing and he backed that up. It was really thrilling because Tony Hartnell, who owns the horse, is in hospital not very well.”
Dryden has had a long career, but he said The Little Dance was particularly satisfying.
“We’ve won a few big races, but you’ve just got to keep competing,” he said. “The stable at home, they’ll be all sending pictures and crying and carrying on.”
“We’ve won a few big races, but you’ve just got to keep competing. The stable at home, they’ll be all sending pictures and crying and carrying on.” - Keith Dryden
The win comes in the wake of Dryden being honoured last month with a life membership to the Canberra Racing Club.
