BRADLEY HAPPY WITH DANZDANZDANCE AHEAD OF RANVET
Co-trainer Michelle Bradley reports from Sydney that everything is in order for Danzdanzdance ahead of her autumn carnival debut in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Danzdanzdance arrived from her Ruakaka stable on Monday night and according to Bradley has settled with no fuss into familiar surrounds at Randwick trainer Greg Lees’ stables. After finishing third in last year’s New Zealand Derby, Danzdanzdance had two carnival starts for fifth in the Vinery Stakes and sixth in the ATC Oaks.
“She’s got the same box and yard as when she was here last year,” Bradley told www.theinformant.co.nz. “It’s been a few years since I was here and she knows her way round here better than I do.
“Everything’s good with her. She took no time to settle in, she’s eating and drinking, so all good ahead of Saturday.
“I haven’t to do much with her, basically just ticking her over with quite work. She had her final hitout at home last Saturday and as we know she doesn’t need a lot to keep her up to the mark.”
Danzdanzdance goes into Saturday’s weight-for-age 2000-metre feature two weeks after pushing Melody Belle to a neck in the Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie. That was her first start since a below-par fifth in the Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa a month earlier.
“We were pretty happy with her going into the Bonecrusher, but if anything she’s probably just that little bit fitter,” Bradley said.
Randwick hasn’t missed any of the heavy inner city showers over the past week or so, but Rosehill to the north-west has been less affected. Official track information records 140mm in the past seven days but nothing in the last 24 hours, leaving the Rosehill Gardens track at a Heavy8 rating.
“We’ve had a real mixture of weather this week – it can dump for a while then the sun comes out,” Bradley added. “Even this morning when I was driving back from the track I had to slow right down it was so heavy.
“We know track ratings over here are slightly different to back home but I’d be surprised if we don’t get at least a slow track on Saturday. For once I wouldn’t have minded a visitor’s draw but instead we end up with the inside gate just when you don’t want it.
“That will be up to Opie (Bosson) though. He would have had a good eye-opener last Saturday and I’m sure he’ll be able to work it out.”