Former leading jumps trainer David Brideoake’s improving mare Dance With Her has joined a distinguished list that includes the world’s best racehorse Black Caviar thanks to her Caulfield win on the weekend, the daughter of Al Maher also displaying her credential to progress into a Group winner in the coming seasons.
Mornington-based Brideoake may have missed out on a win in the feature Caulfield race last Saturday, his Group 1 placed filly Warm Love finishing third to Secret Flyer in the Sir John Monash Stakes, but the trainer still enjoyed a winning double to give him five city wins in just six weeks.
“When I had jumpers I used to split Kaisersosa and Millennium Dancer (in 2004) and they would win each alternate Saturday, so they were pretty good times,” Brideoake recalled.
“But this is the best run I’ve had in the city with flat runners.
“Training is a marvellous job – I just think you get better at it.”
In the third race at the meeting, the Selangor Turf Club Handicap (1200m), his in-form filly Biancon Rose claimed a gritty win in a photo with Star Of Giselle to score her third on the trot.
“It was a pretty tough run really,” Brideoake said.
“We were a long way back, I was expecting to be in the first four, but she stepped slowly and it was a big effort.
“I’m pleased where she’s going this horse.”
Brideoake said Biancon Rose, a winner of five from 10 to date, could head towards the $125,000 Group 3 WW Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 13 but that she may be better suited to a 1400 metre event.
Dance With Her’s victory in the opening Saturday race at Caulfield, The Saturday Age Life&Style Cup (2000m), also caught Brideoake’s attention.
Dance With Her joined undefeated sprint queen Black Caviar and Mick Price’s Coolmore Classic winner Aloha in winning six races in Victoria for the season when she defeated the Michael Moroney-trained Abitofado by a long-neck on Saturday.
“She’s got a great constitution and thrives on racing,” Brideoake said on Dance With Her who over the past 12 months has posted wins at Sale, Bendigo, Kyneton, Moonee Valley and Caulfield.
Black Caviar’s stablemate, Mr Make Believe is the only horse boasting a better Victorian record having won their seventh in the state on Saturday.
Brideoake believes Dance With Her could be a genuine Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival contender and that he wished he had chosen to save her for next season instead of running her through the winter.
“I’ve probably got her in at the wrong time of the year because I would love to run her in something like the Matriarch at the end of the carnival, but she is doing what she’s doing now and you can’t make predictions so we will just keep her going and space her runs,” he said.
The mares-only $300,000 Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) will run at Flemington Racecourse during the Melbourne Cup Carnival on Emirates Stakes Day, Saturday November 5.
