Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday July 4

Despite having the advantage of standing at Coolmore, Danehill Dancer (IRE) had to make his own way in the world as the cheapest stallion on Coolmoore’s roster in Ireland while in Australia he was hawked around a bit before eventually earning his place among the leading stallions.

An Ir38,000gn Goff yearling, the son of Danehill won the Phoenix Stakes and National Stakes, and finished second to Alhaarth in the Dewhurst Stakes at two but failed to build on that record at three.

Advertisement

From his first European crop came the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Where Or When and when his second Australian crop included Choisir and Private Steer, Danehill Dancer (IRE) was on his way.


He was crowned the champion sire in Britain and Ireland in 2009, after Mastercraftsman won the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes and daughter Again captured the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

Pensioned from stud duty in 2013, Danehill Dancer (IRE) (image Mark Smith) is making a name as a broodmare sire.

His daughters have produced eight Group 1 winners to date and five of them are, not surprisingly, by Galileo. They include the recent Irish Derby winner Sovereign as well as 7-time Group 1 winner Minding, triple Group 1 winner Alice Springs, the recent St James's Palace Stakes winner Circus Maximus and the Sussex Stakes and Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero The Gurkha.

The lone Group 1 winner out of a Danehill Dancer mare in Australia is the Doomben Ten Thousand winner Music Magnate (Written Tycoon).

But he also has Star Thoroughbreds millionairess Fiesta (I Am Invincible) and the dual Group II winner La Passe.

The winner of six of her 17 starts, La Passe is an interesting one as she is a daughter of Street Sense (USA).

Both Street Sense (USA) and Danehill Dancer (IRE) trace back to the brilliant sprinter and miler Lianga.

Street Sense’s best son in Australia was the admirably brave and talented Hallowed Crown, a Gooree homebred who won the Group 1 ATC Golden Rose Stakes and Group 1 Randwick Guineas.

Gooree sent the Danehill Dancer mare Payoff Now to Hallowed Crown in his first season at Darley and the result is Rule The World who opened his winning account at his career debut at Canterbury on June 19.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained gelding will be favoured to make it two from two at Randwick on Saturday over 1300 metres.

A third generation Gooree-bred on his sire and dam side, Rule The World’s dam Pay Off Now is a half-sister to the classy Rock Of Gibraltar filly Gamble Me whose four stakes wins included the Group III STC Birthday Card Stakes.

Pay Off Now’s granddam Looking For Gold (USA) is a sister to the multiple Grade 1 winner and influential stallion Seeking The Gold and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Fast Play.

One of the few stakes races in Australia on Saturday is the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final at Flemington and we expect a Danehill Dancer mare to strike again with Prime Thoroughbreds $85,000 Classic Yearling Sale purchase Rubisaki (image Grant Courtney ).


The Patrick The Payne-trained filly will be vying to give her first season sire Rubick a second stakes-winner.

Beaten narrowly when luckless on debut at Warrnambool, Rubisaki made amends with dominant wins at Seymour and Flemington.

Bred by Edinburgh Park, Rubisaki is the fourth winner from as many foals to race from Senro Kisakim, a Sydney metropolitan winner by Danehill Dancer (IRE).

Rubisaki is a half-sister to the Adelaide Magic Millions winner Zizzis (Sizzling) who won at Sandown three days before Rubisaki’s Flemington triumph.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday July 18
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Unbeaten Filly a New Stakes-Winner for Ghaiyyath
Darley shuttler Ghaiyyath (IRE) is not returning to Australia this year after four seasons at Darley Victoria, but he was in the news overnight with a new stakes-winner after his unbeaten three year-old filly Al Uqda won the Listed Vichy Prix Madame Jean Couturie (2000m).
Another Aussie Stakes-Winner for Lope de Vega
It’s just as well Australian owners are keen on bringing in imported tried horses to Australia or the $200,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) on Thursday would have looked a very skinny event, but as it happened there was a promising young stayer on top in Don Diego de Vega (Fr).
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 17
Here is the full list of 40 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Without Peer Impresses On Debut For Pierata
Triple Crown Syndications appear to have a horse with plenty of upside as we approach the new season after their 2yo Pierata gelding Without Peer made a winning debut in the Traffic Warden @ Darley Handicap (1200m) on Saturday at Rosehill.
Karaka Graduates Shoot for Selangor’s Seven-Figure Prize
A quality cast of four-year-olds will clash in Malaysia’s richest race this weekend, with a significant NZB influence throughout the 16-horse field.
Big Investment Begins Paying Off
A big investment by Rosemont Stud at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in purchasing Group III winning mare Khulaasa for $1.35million produced a dividend on Friday, but that’s just the beginning!
What Stallions Can Step Up in Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong racing season is over for another year, so a look at their sire tables by earnings and winners is always interesting and there is no surprise at the top with now pensioned Deep Field claiming his fourth consecutive champion sire title, but given he is now out of the picture the big question is what sires will replace him?
$1million Mehmas a Stakes-Winner for Godolphin
One of the big ticket purchases for Godolphin at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last year was the half-brother to triple Group I winner Perfect Power by Mehmas and this 1million guinea purchase opened his stakes account overnight in the UK.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Who are we highlighting this week? - Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.