Date posted August 23, 2010 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Danasinga,
Feature Stallion,
Premium Updates,
Racing and BreedingFollowers of the Chris Waller stable in Sydney were smiling on Saturday when multiple Group 1 winner Metal Bender returned to racing with a bang when leading home a Waller trifecta in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm.
Metal Bender, ridden by Tim Clark, showed plenty of heart to nose out Triple Honour (Honours List – Myrrh) with the race favourite Danleigh (Mujahid – Graceful Lily by Dr Grace) three-quarters-of-a-length away in third.
Now the winner of eight of his 14-career starts, Metal Bender has made a successful return to the track after suffering a nasty leg injury last spring. Returning to racing the following autumn for Waller he was unplaced in two of his comeback runs during April.
Waller subsequently sent the son of Danasinga north to Queensland for the winter carnival and he made an impressive return to the winners’ circle for his owners in winning the Group 2 A D Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast before claiming the Group I Doomben Cup (2020m).
With more than $1.5million in prizemoney, Waller has the Group I WS Cox Plate as the main spring target for Metal Bender, and the five-year-old is likely to start next in the Chelmsford Stakes on-route to Victoria.
Metal Bender is out of the three-time winner Jacqwin (by Bluebird), the dam of four winners that include the stakes-placed Southern Venture (by Zabeel) along with Metal Bender. Out of the unraced Nuwirah (by Pleasant Colony), this makes her a half-sister to the SAJC Group I Goodwood Hcp winner and successful young sire, Keeper (by Danehill).
Metal Bender is one of three group one winners for his sire Danasinga (Danehill – Princess Tracy by Ahonoora), who sired an interstate metropolitan double with Crabs (ex Lady Chanelle by Citidancer) getting the better of Tinamou (Quest for Fame - Whistles by Royal Academy) in the final stages of the Footscray Hcp (2500m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Now serving his first book of mares at Touchstone Farm in Western Australia, and with 30 stakes winners with earnings of more than $34million overall Danasinga’s fee of $8,800 (inc gst) is very reasonable.
