Shuffle Dancer Wins G2 Angus Armanasco

Tara Madgwick - Saturday February 25

The $300,000 Group II MRC Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on Saturday produced a new stakes-winner for champion sire I Am Invincible when Shuffle Dancer arrived in the last stride to score a head victory over Royal Merchant.

Shuffle Dancer outpoints Royal Merchant to win G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes - image Grant Courtney

Trained by Peter Moody, Shuffle Dancer has been allowed to develop her talent in easier races and was having her first crack at Black Type following on from a Benchmark 70 win at Moonee Valley last month.

Shuffle Dancer let down with a big run up the middle of the track for Ben Melham and lengthened stride all the way to the line taking her overall record to three wins and two placings from six starts with prizemoney topping $322,000.

“She’s a good filly, but doesn’t have a lot of early tactical speed and today with a tricky draw that was my concern,” said Melham.

“It was a good training performance as he (Peter Moody) had to put her on ice for a bit and gave her a trial to keep her up to the mark. She got warm behind the gates as well so I’d imagine she will improve again on that.”

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Shuffle Dancer was withdrawn from Inglis Easter and retained to race by her breeder Arthur Mitchell in partnership and is the third winner and first stakes-winner for Street Cry (IRE) mare Palace Talk.

Shuffle Dancer is now a valuable G2 winning filly - image Grant Courtney

She is a half-sister to Group II placed Never Talk and full sister to Group placed Forbidden City, who gained further Black Type at Sandown when finishing third in the Group III MRC Mannerism Stakes.

A half-sister to the dams of Group II winner Contessa Vanessa and stakes-winners Astor and Niki Piki Milo, Palace Talk is back in  foal to I Am Invincible after producing a colt by him last spring.

Shuffle Dancer is the 91st stakes-winner for reigning champion sire I Am invincible and is his second from a daughter of Street Cry (IRE).

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Race Result - Ladbrokes Angus Armanasco Stks Gr2 1400m

Sandown-Lakeside Track: Good(4) Time: 1:23.64
1
Shuffle Dancer
- 3f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Palace Talk (NZ) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: P G Moody Rdr: B Melham 56
I Am Invincible
2
0.2
Royal Merchant
- 3f Merchant Navy (AUS) x Seventhchic (AUS) (Seventh Reason (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: M J Dee 56
3
2.0
Call Di
- 3f Frankel (GB) x Samantha Miss (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: D Oliver 56
4
2.2
Laced Up Heels
- 3f Toronado (IRE) x A City Girl (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: Luke Fernie Rdr: Chris Parnham 57
5
4.2
Dear Jewel
- 3f Snitzel (AUS) x Prophet Jewel (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: Dean Holland 56
6
4.7
Eternal Flame
- 3f Sacred Falls (NZ) x Suriyan (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: M C Kent Rdr: Ethan Brown 56
7
5.2
Jennilala
- 3f Shalaa (IRE) x Rosarian (AUS) (Manhattan Rain (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Craig Williams 56
8
6.7
Adament
- 3f Hellbent (AUS) x Unswerving (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Jamie Kah 56
9
7.0
She's Licketysplit
- 3f Turn Me Loose (NZ) x She's Slinky (NZ) (Handsome Ransom (AUS))
Tnr: Andrew Forsman Rdr: B Shinn 59.5
10
8.8
Campania Volpe
- 3f Foxwedge (AUS) x Spirit Of Pompeii (AUS) (Bel Esprit (AUS))
Tnr: A R McGregor Rdr: B Mc Dougall 56
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