Group 1 Glory for $5,000 Purchase Danzdanzdance

Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman) cost just $5,000 as a yearling at Karaka, and on Saturday she became a Group 1 winner with an outstanding performance in the $200,000 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.

The Chris Gibbs and Michelle Bradley-trained runner had already proven that she belonged at the elite level, placing in this year’s New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Livamol Classic (2040m). Saturday’s big breakthrough performance boosted her career earnings past $300,000, and her overall value far beyond that.

Ridden by Opie Bosson, the grey four-year-old raced in midfield before emerging on the outside at the top of the home straight. Bosson pushed the button and Danzdanzdance’s response was explosive, powering away to win by four lengths.

“She is a very smart mare,” Bosson said. “I was a little bit sceptical coming into it fresh-up over a mile with a bit of cut in the ground.

“Turning for home I was just hoping I wasn’t going to get there too soon, but she is a very classy mare. I didn’t realise the turn of foot she had.”

Danzdanzdance was bought out of the 2016 Select Sale and syndicated by Kylie Bax under her BAX Bloodstock Achieving Xcellence banner.

“It’s amazing – we were all shouting, it’s lucky we didn’t bring the stand down,” she said. “I paid only $5000 to buy her. It’s unbelievable. She’s raced by a great and diverse group of owners, and some of them have never even had horses before.”

Danzdanzdance has now had 10 starts for three wins, four placings and $316,713 in prize-money, which is more than 63 times her purchase price.

Fellow Karaka graduates Our Abbadean (NZ) (Lookin At Lucky) and Ocean Emperor (NZ) (Zabeel) finished third and fourth.