Dance Classic Bound After Flying Win

Flying two-year-old Roweiner’s Dance sent an ominous warning to rivals for the $100,000 2YO Classic with a lightning-fast win under a big weight at Cluden Park on Saturday.

The home-bred youngster fought hard under 61kg for the gutsiest of wins over Rockhampton raider Bush Diamond in Cluden Park QTIS 2YO Hcp (1000m) in a rare sub 56 secs gallop for a two-year-old.

Roweiner’s Dance, ridden by premier hoop Lacey Morrison, posted a time of 55.97secs, almost 12 months to the day since boom filly Chinny Boom won over the Cluden 1000m in 55.98secs with a similar rail position.

Trainer Bill Kenning, who bred Roweiner’s Dance with partner Julie Bell, is confident the five-time 1000m winner can stretch out to the 1200m of the Classic in June, a race he won with McConachy in 2013.

“I don’t think 1200m will worry him at all. Probably the 1200m will even suit him and when he drops back in weight for the big race we’ll be spot on,” Kenning said.

“He doesn’t need much work at all so he’ll have a couple of easy weeks just in the round yard in the paddock playing.

“I’ll start him in the prelude over 1200m on May 19, and that’ll give him a few weeks before the big one.

“On times he’s as good as any two-year-old we’ve had but on breeding he’s not. He’s not even bred to be a two-year-old. His mum Roweiner won over 2200m and was a good mare over ground but didn’t win a race until she was four-year-old 

“Sidesteps, there’s not many of them that are any good, but fortunately for us he’s one of them.

“It was a big run today. He was beaten when they straightened but he gave a kick and then on the line he was kicking again.”

Roweiner’s Dance provided the first leg of a winning double for Morrison who also won on the Graham Hughes-trained Harmonic Boom in the Carlton & United Breweries Mdn Hcp (1200m).

Morrison is keen to stay with Roweiner’s Dance for the Classic.

“The two-year-old is a pretty smart horse. They ran a very fast time, and he carried a big weight,” Morrison said.

“I would have liked to have ridden him a bit quitter but Bill didn’t want to change too much with the big weight.

“I’m very keen to stick with him. Next time he starts he’ll have 63kg but in the classic he’ll drop back down to 56kg.”

Rockhampton jockey Ash Butler shared riding honours with Morrison and Jackson Murphy with a winning double.

Butler was able to gain a last gasp run to win on $1.22 favourite El Of A Senorita and turned in an outstanding ride to bolt in on Edification, both for leading Rocky conditioner Clinton Taylor 

Brisbane-based Murphy continued his successful association with Townsville trainer Georgie Holt when they combined to win with the in-form Ciao Bicky and Bones.

The wins took Holt to 24 wins for the season at Cluden, 11 clear of Roy Chillemi.

Talented Cairns sprinter Smart Image returned from a spell with a blaze of glory in a brilliant all-the-way win in the BFQ Accountants Open Hcp (1000m).

The Trevor and Peter Rowe-trained five-year-old is unbeaten in five northern starts and is being aimed at the Cleveland Bay Handicap on Cup day in August.

Pictured: Premier jockey, Lacey Morrison, returns to scale with Roweiner's Dance after storming home in the Cluden Park QTIS 2YO Hcp (1000m).

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