Exciting young shuttle sire St Mark’s Basilica (FR) unleashed a star on the rise at Flemington on Saturday when progressive filly Saintly Dancer turned the $300,000 Group II VRC Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) into a procession.
The Ciaron Maher-trained filly was a maiden winner at Sandown two starts ago on August 19, then stepped up to stakes company with a sixth in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1300m) on September 5 and a second in the Group II MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on September 19.
Up in trip to 1600m for the first time and faced with a heavy 10 track, Saintly Dancer upped her game in spectacular style.
Ridden by Ethan Brown, Saintly Dancer strode forward to take up the lead and was always in cruise control from that point on.
Brown shook the reins at the 400m mark and Saintly Dancer produced another gear, putting the field to the sword and charging clear to win by six lengths from Joely (Toronado (IRE), with another three and a quarter lengths back to the third-placed Beautiful You (Hello Youmzain (Fr).
“Up to the mile today, she broke really well,” Brown said. “She’s quite electric early. I had to work with her just to get her back, and she pricked her ears.
“She got an easy lead. We were able to kick away, and Ciaron had her extremely fit for the heavy track today and she proved she’s on an upward trajectory.
“She’s got a bit of a mind of her own. She was whipping around on me before the race and playing around, but as soon as the gates opened, the job was on and she won quite convincingly.”
Saintly Dancer has now had five starts for two wins and two placings with prizemoney just shy of $280,000. Her impressive performance has moved her into equal $6 second favouritism for the G1 Thousand Guineas.
“God, that was impressive,” Maher said. “She looked really comfortable in the run and Ethan had her in a lovely rhythm. The team have done a great job up at Ballarat. She doesn’t carry a lot of weight, but she seems to do better up there.
“First Light, they’ve got another really nice chance heading to the Thousand Guineas. I was in two minds whether to go there, but if there is a bit of juice in the track, you’d seriously have to consider it on the back of that.
“We were keen to go forward today, and I didn’t tie Ethan down too much. He found the top pretty easily, and when she turned into the straight, you knew she had a nice kick in her. Gee, she was dominant.”
A $100,000 Magic Millions purchase from Wentwood Grange for First Light Racing Pty Ltd/Ciaron Maher Bloodstock, Saintly Dancer was bred in New Zealand by Llanhennock Trust and is the second winner from three foals to race from Thinkyoucandance, a winning So You Think daughter of imported US Group III winner Orchestrator (USA).
Saintly Dancer is the seventh stakes-winner worldwide for St Mark’s Basilica and is his first in Australia this season.
The 2021 European Horse of the Year has sired two G1 winners in Europe this year in Diamond Necklace and Thesecretadversary and is back at Coolmore Australia this spring at a fee of $38,500.
