Wendy Whitehead has done a superb job of maintaining the Silvano mare Keep On Dancing on the victory boil and her flagship galloper underscored her versatility with an impressive victory in the R100 000 Listed Off To Stud Stakes at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Stepping down from the 2400m of her last victory in the Gr2 Track & Ball Oaks at the same track to the mile, Warren Kennedy had the 5yo mare relaxed before unleashing her at the 350m marker.
Warren Kennedy has Keep On Dancing in control (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
While the Kotzen’s 4yo Caya Coco (9-2) looked to give some cheek down the inside as the astute Muzi Yeni took the initiative, Keep On Dancing (5-2) was always going too well and she asserted herself well to beat the Cape challenger by 0,70 lengths in a time of 96,03 secs.
With 1,75 lengths separating the top five, Kotzen also saddled the third-placed Flower Of Saigon (6-1), with Stelvio (40-1) from the in-form Dennis Drier yard boosting the quartet in fourth.
Watch the replay here:
Anne and Bruce Nicholas of Hallmark Thoroughbreds bred and race the consistent Keep On Dancing, who is out of the Zimbabwe champion, and top-class producer, First Arrival (Northern Guest).
The latter is dam of eight black type horses including the Gr1 winning champions Let’s Rock’ n Roll and the UK-based In The Fast Lane.
Keep On Dancing has won 7 races with 4 places from her 17 starts for stakes of R540 000.
Trainer Whitehead says that Keep On Dancing has earned a break now and, given her blood, it must have been tempting for her owners to send her to stud – even though she really is racing at the top of her game.
The winner’s unraced three parts brother by Silvano has just been announced as KZN’s newest stallion. He will stand at Hadlow Stud.
So great timing all round!
