He is arguably the best bred horse to race anywhere in the world this weekend, the seven-year-old Frankel entire Mirage Dancer (GB), who credited his dual Group 1 winning dam Heat Wave (Danehill) with her first winner at the elite level in Saturday’s $750,000 ATC Heineken Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) at Randwick.
Third in last year’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup at his Australian debut, the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained entire took ten starts to break his duck in his adopted homeland.
With Nash Rawiller in the saddle, Mirage Dancer (GB) used his one and a half kilo advantage over the favourite Mugatoo (IRE) (Henrythenavigator) to win by a long-head with the leader Angel Of Truth (Animal Kingdom) a short-neck back in third.
“He travelled like the winner the whole race,” Rawiller said.
“I had a lot of horse under me on the home turn and Hush Rider took me as far as he need to go before he got out.
“He is a very good horse and we probably have not seen the best of him since the Caulfield Cup.
“On today you would think he would go around in the Melbourne Cup and be a genuine chance.”
From one of Juddmonte Farm’s great families, Mirage Dancer is a son of their masterpiece Frankel out of Heat Haze (Green Desert) who was one five Group 1 winners, in addition to the champion sire Dansili (Danehill), out of Juddmonte’s blue hen Hasili.
Purchased by bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington for a syndicate including Seymour Bloodstock and Mark Casey, Mirage Dancer finished second in the Group III Glorious Stakes at Goodwood won by Baghdad from Prince Of Arran before his importation.
He hit the board in 12 of his 16 starts when trained by Sir Michael Stoute.
Mirage Dancer becomes the 11th Group 1 winner by Frankel whose 3yo daughter Hungry Heart finished a close second in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) earlier on the day while Frankel’s 7yo gelded son Finche finished a close-up third in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
