Date posted July 27, 2009 | Posted by David Bay | Filed under
Danehill Dancer,
Premium Updates,
Racing and Breeding,
Staff FavouritesCOOLMORE’S Danehill Dancer (IRE) has sired the trifecta in this years Phoenix Stakes-Gr.1 (6f) at the Curragh with juvenile colts Alfred Nobel and Air Chief Marshal taking the quinella for Ballydoyle trainer Aidan OBrien (the second placegetter ridden by his 16-year-old son Joseph) and filly Walk on Bye filling the minor placing for trainer Tommy Stack.
Winner of the Railway Stakes-Gr.2 in late June and favourite for this event, Alfred Nobel (Johnny Murtagh) had to sweep wide past the field to chase 33/1 shot Air Chief Marshal (ex Hawala by Warning) but caught the leader with 50m to go and had a half-length to spare on the post. Walk on Bye (ex Pipalong by Pips Pride) was 2-1/2 lengths back in third on a heavy track.
In winning Alfred Nobel, one of O’Briens 10 winners of the Phoenix Stakes-Gr.1, emulates Mastercraftsman, Danehill Dancer’s best northern-sired son, who won the Railway and the Phoenix-Gr.1. Mastercraftsman also won the National Stakes-Gr.1 too, although Alfred Nobel looks set to take a different route to glory and contest the Prix Morny-Gr.1 in France next time out.
Alfred Nobel is the first foal of the winning Desert Prince (IRE) mare Glinting Desert (giving the youngster a 3mx4m cross of Danzig) and her dam, Dazzling Park (Warning) won the Matron Stakes-Gr.3, was runner-up in the Leopardstown Champion Stakes-Gr.1 and third in the Irish 1000 Guineas-Gr.1 and is a half-sister to five-time Gr.1 winner New Approach (Galileo (IRE)), the English Derby winner who will shuttle to Northwood Park, Victoria, in 2009 for Darley, and to former shuttler Shinko Forest (IRE) (Green Desert), a multiple Gr.1 winner in Japan. Their dam is the Gr.1 winner Park Express (Ahonoora (GB)).
Danehill Dancer (Danehill (USA)-Mira Adonde by Sharpen Up) has sired 826 winners and 95 stakes winners and his best southern-conceived runners include sprint champ Choisir, now a proven young sire for Coolmore, along with Private Steer, Light Fantastic and Arapaho Miss. Danehill Dancer’s 2009 fee at Coolmore, Jerrys Plains is $88,000 (inc gst).
