Danehill Dancer (IRE)

Take a son of Danehill, add a pedigree filled with speed, mix in Gr.1 racing ability and you have a recipe for success - that’s what MIKE DAVIS discovered when he compiled this profile on Collingrove’s rising star Danehill Dancer (USA), one of the most in-demand young sires in the country.

COLLINGROVE Victoria’s young shuttle sire Danehill Dancer (IRE) has just completed a sensational first season in Europe with an amazing 27 individual juvenile winners.

  These first European runners include Gr.3 winners Where Or When (also fourth in the Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1) and Ziria and Listed winner and Gr.2-placed Lahinch to put Danehill Dancer at the top of the tree for individual two year-old winners in 2001.

  To mid-November, Danehill Dancer had 18 individual winners and 13 placegetters from 44 runners in Australia, with Choisir winning the Listed AJC Breeders’ Plate this season, and other runners including recent good city winner Jar Jar Binks (who was Gr.1-placed in the QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes last season).

  His daughters Pirouettes and Dane Witch took the quinella in the Harold Badger Handicap at Sandown recently; while in Newcastle Turaga and Azraq landed a double for their sire, and Dynamic Dancer won a juvenile event in Brisbane.

  However it’s no wonder that Danehill Dancer’s stud career is off to such a fine start, that’s only fitting for a horse who won two Gr.1 events as a juvenile (National Stakes, Phoenix Stakes) and was runner-up in another (the Dewhurst Stakes).

  Then there’s his pedigree to consider, a son of sensational sire Danehill and a descendant of Champion European Sprinter Lianga, a dual Gr.1 winner and his third dam. Importantly, Danehill Dancer is linebred 5f,5fx4m,5m to Native Dancer, one of the best American racehorses of last century.

  Reflecting on the champions of the US turf from 1920 to 1970, names that come to mind include Man o’ War, Swaps, Sea Biscuit, Nashua, Secretariat, Citation, Forego, Kelso, Tom Fool, Count Fleet and Native Dancer.

  Native Dancer raced 22 times over three seasons from 1952 to 1954 and only suffered a single defeat, beaten a head in America’s most famous race, the Kentucky Derby of 1953. The grey Native Dancer went on to win another 10 races. He retired to Sagamore Farm in Maryland and developed into a champion sire and sire of sires.

  Danehill Dancer’s sire Danehill is a grandson of Northern Dancer whose dam Natalma is by Native Dancer; Danehill’s dam Razyana is a granddaughter of Natalma, by Native Dancer; Danehill Dancer’s maternal great-grandsire is Native Dancer; and his third dam Lianga is by Dancer’s Image, a son of Native Dancer.

  Native Dancer was bred by one of America’s richest businessmen and social identities, A.G. (Alfred) Vanderbilt of New York. Vanderbilt raced Native Dancer for those 22 starts in the early 1950s with the colt trained by W.C. Winfrey. This all-conquering trio collected prizemoney of $US785,240 - a massive sum nearly 50 years ago.

  Native Dancer raced nine times in 1952 as a two year-old and was undefeated. He was never threatened by his rivals and among those nine wins were the Youthful Stakes at Jamaica, the Saratoga Special Stakes, Grand Union Hotel Stakes and Hopeful Stakes, with the last three contested at Saratoga.

  The horse seemingly had a mortgage on the US Triple Crown races comprising the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Native Dancer confirmed his dominance for the Triple Crown by easily winning a division of the Gotham Stakes by two lengths and the Wood Memorial Stakes by more than four lengths, both at long odds-on.

  The Kentucky Derby saw Native Dancer start odds-on, a rarity considering the class of three year-old that this race attracts, but in a shock result the hot favourite suffered a head defeat by Dark Star, a horse with a strong Australian connection as he was sired by Royal Gem II (by Dhoti), an export from this country back in the late 1940s.

  Royal Gem was bred in 1942 and won the 1946 VATC Caulfield Cup at the expense of the champion Australian racehorse Bernborough. Royal Gem sired more than 20 stakes winners, but his historic claim to fame was always “as the sire of the only horse to beat Native Dancer !”

  Native Dancer showed that this loss in the Kentucky Derby was a one-off event and proceeded to win his next seven starts as a three year-old. He started odds-on in every race and reeled off wins in the Withers Stakes, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Dwyer Stakes, Arlington Classic Stakes, Travers Stakes and American Derby.

  There was nothing else for Native Dancer to prove prior to starting on a stud career, but Vanderbilt kept the colt in training as a four year-old. Native Dancer won a minor race at Belmont Park, the Metropolitan Handicap at the same New York racetrack and the Oneonta Handicap at Saratoga (Native Dancer won this race by nine lengths and the result was such a foregone conclusion that no betting was allowed!). He was named Horse of the Year in 1954.

  Native Dancer was foaled in 1950 by Polynesian from Geisha (by Discovery). His sire was by Unbreakable, a son of Sickle. Sickle (Phalaris-Selene by Chaucer) was a brother to Pharamond and a half-brother to Hyperion (Gainsborough), also influential sires.

  Polynesian was an exceptional racehorse from 1944 to 1947 with 27 wins from 58 starts highlighted by success in the Preakness Stakes and Withers Stakes. His dam Black Polly (by Polymelian) was a modest performer winning $US575 from a win in three starts.

  Polynesian was highly successful at stud with 37 stakes winners crowned by the champion Native Dancer. Geisha, dam of Native Dancer, was a minor winner from 11 starts as a two and three year-old and produced four winners.

  Native Dancer was an exceptional sire with his stock winning in North America, France and England. His stud career started in 1955 and finished in 1968, standing that year at a $US20,000 service fee payable on a live foal basis.

  The $US20,000 service fee set for Native Dancer in 1968 was the highest of any stallion in North America, equalled only by Hail to Reason at Hagyard Farm in Kentucky. Stallions standing that year closest in fee to Native Dancer and Hail to Reason were were Chateaugay, Intentionally, Nearctic, Northern Dancer, Prince Taj, Restless Wind, Rough ‘n Tumble and Tom Fool - all available at $US10,000.

  Native Dancer sired 303 foals and had 45 stakes winners. His noted racehorses were Dan Cupid, Dancer’s Image, Hula Dancer, Kauai King, Native Charger, Summer Guest, Native Street, Native Prince and Raise a Native.

  Hula Dancer was a multiple Gr.1 winner in France and England; Raise a Native was the top-weighted US juvenile of 1963; Kauai King won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes; Native Street took the Kentucky Oaks; Native Price was a brilliant juvenile winning the Great American Stakes; and Dancer’s Image “won” the Kentucky Derby but lost the race in the court room 12 months after returning a positive swab. Godswalk (USA), another good sire for Collingrove, Victoria’s owners, Robert Sangster and the Hayes family, was by Dancer’s Image.

  Raise a Native based at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky developed into a superior sire with 45 stakes winners. His name lives on via top class racehorses and sires including Alydar, Crowned Prince (damsire of Zeditave), Exclusive Native, Majestic Prince. Marshua’s Dancer, Raise a Bid, Raise a Cup and that phenomenal sire and sire of sires, Mr. Prospector.

  The crowning glory for Native Dancer to many was the result of him being mated with Almahmoud (by Mahmoud). That union produced Natalma, dam of that legend of world sire ranks, Northern Dancer.

  Natalma is also the third dam of Danehill, who is inbred to this mare 3mx3f. Danehill ranks as one of the greatest stallions to stand in Australasia, and is now mentioned in the same breath as that long term benchmark for stallion greatness in Australia, Star Kingdom (IRE).

  Collector of a swag of sire titles in Australia and England, Danehill, winner of four races including the Ladbroke Sprint Cup-Gr.1 (6f) and Cork and Orrery Stakes-Gr.3 (6f) at Royal Ascot in record time, has more than 160 stakes winners to his credit and has already established a sire dynasty at a relatively young age.

  His recent Gr.1 winners in Europe include sprint sensation Mozart, star juvenile Rock of Gibraltar and outstanding fillies Banks Hill and Aquarelliste; while in Australia during the past 12 months runners like Magical Miss, Moonflute, Ha Ha, Viking Ruler, Mr Murphy, Keeper and Asia have struck at the highest level. No wonder his southern fee at Coolmore is listed as “private” but reported to be $220,000 (including GST).

  Importantly, Danehill’s sons are also siring outstanding performers, Golden Slipper winners Danzero (Fairway, Danglissa), Flying Spur (All Time High, Juanmo, Flying Babe, San Luis), Danewin, Dantibes and Danasinga have all made good starts to their stud careers, and there are many more young sons of Danehill (Danzig-Razyana by His Majesty) yet to have runners.

  Irish-bred Danehill Dancer proved an inspired buy for Michael Tabor when, under the guidance of trainer Neville Callaghan, the IR38,000 guineas purchase won his first three starts at two and was runner-up at his fourth and final outing for the season to earn a Timeform rating of 117.

  Described by Racehorses of 1995 as a “big, strong, lengthy individual who carries condition and has plenty of scope,” Danehill Dancer was clearly highly regarded by his stable when sent out a well backed favourite on debut. There were no worries in this 6f maiden at the strong Newmarket July Meeting when the Danehill colt ran out an easy winner. Given a much harder task at his second start, the two year-old was made 2/1 favourite for the Phoenix Stakes-Gr.1 (6f) at Leopardstown the following month.

  Timeform reported: “Danehill Dancer was held up in touch on the outside but needed to be ridden along from about the halfway mark and still looked a little inexperienced. However, once in the lead over a furlong out, he stuck to his task well to hold Woodborough by a neck”.

  A month later Danehill Dancer was back in Ireland and odds-on in the National Stakes-Gr.1 (7f) at The Curragh. Pat Ederry produced him to lead on the outside a furlong out, and he saw out the distance well to win by one and a half-lengths from Polaris Flight.

  He was at 2/1 and opposed to England’s best juvenile Alhaarth (odds-on) in the Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1 (7f) at his final outing for the season, finishing runner-up to that Unfuwain colt (two lengths) but ahead of Prix Morny-Gr.1 winner Tagula. He was rated Champion Two Year Old in Ireland at the end of the season.

  The following year he won the Greenham Stakes-Gr.3 (7f) at Newbury and was third in the Prix Maurice de Gheest-Gr.1 (1300m) at Deauville from just six starts, and was retired after just one unplaced run the following season.

  He stood his first season at stud in Australia in 1997 and Ireland in 1998, and the 27 individual winners in the northern hemisphere this year are from that first crop. His first Australian crop last season included Jar Jar Binks, Pirouettes, Turaga, Angie’s Gold, Azarq, Dane Witch, Damigos, Oblige and Daneline.

  Danehill Dancer’s dam Mira Adonde (by Sharpen Up) only had one race start when seventh in a seven furlong maiden at Newmarket - coincidentally at the same meeting where Danehill won the Ladbroke European Free Handicap-LR (7f).

  Mira Adonde has produced three winners - Danehill Dancer, Plaisir d’Amour (by Danehill) and Fakhira (by Jareer) who was a two year-old winner on debut. She is a daughter of unraced Lettre d’Amour (by top flight racehorse and sire Caro) who produced four winners headed by UK stakes winner Swordfish (by Diesis, a son of Sharpen Up).

  The third dam of Danehill Dancer is Lianga (by Dancer’s Image). She had 11 wins including the Prix Jacques le Marois-Gr.1, Prix Robert Papin-Gr.1, Prix de l’Abbaye-Gr.2, July Cup-Gr.2, Vernons Sprint Cup-Gr.2 and Prix Maurice de Gheest-Gr.3.

  The Bloodstock Breeders’ Annual Review of 1975 described Lianga (Dancer’s Image-Leven Ones by Sailor), an American-bred mare owned by Daniel Wildenstein, as “a magnificent all-rounder, fully effective at a mile as well as over shorter trips”.

  “She proved that with a six length triumph in Deauville’s Prix Jacques le Marois-Gr.1 and her victory in Longchamp’s Prix du Rond Point-Gr.3. Her Deauville win was the fastest over 1600m (1:34.6) since electronic timing was introduced there.

  “At the minimum distance she inched Primo Rico out of the Prix de l’Abbaye, which was to be upgraded to Gr.1 in 1976. In England, her supremacy in 6f class was gallantly established by a half-length victory in Newmarket’s July Cup. Her retirement to stud, announced after her failure in the Prix de la Foret (1400m) in October, was postponed to take one more journey to England, where she claimed the 6f Vernon’s Sprint Cup at Haydock without being seriously extended.”

  Rated Champion European Sprinter Lianga produced seven winners including stakes winner Darling Misty; stakes-placed Legion d’Honneur (dam of stakes winner Aaron’s Concorde); multiple winner Long Legend, dam of stakes winners Mr Greeley (USA) and Majestic Legend; and Lacune, dam of stakes winners Rosolida and Glen Jordon.

  Mr Greeley (Gone West-Long Legend by Reviewer) is an interesting aspect of this pedigree. He went to stud in the USA in 1992 and was shuttled to The Independent Stallion Station, Victoria in 1996.

  Broodmare owners undervalued Mr Greeley as a stallion prospect and the horse was not supported to the level he deserved. His true worth was shown when the three year-old filly Miss Kournikova won the VATC Oakleigh Plate-Gr.1 in track record time for the 1000m.

  This is also the family of Kentucky Derby winner Count Turf (Count Fleet), a half-brother to Star Student (Rhodes Scholar-Delmarie by Pompey), sixth dam of Danehill Dancer. Leven Ones, dam of Lianga, is also third dam of champion sprinter Reraise (by Danzatore), winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint-Gr.1.

  Danehill Dancer’s maternal sire, Sharpen Up, was a top racehorse and won the Middle Park Stakes-Gr.1 in England. He sired 83 stakes winners including Kris (whose son Switch in Time stands at Stratheden Stud), Pebbles, Trempolino, Diesis and is the broodmare sire of 80 stakes winners worldwide including the Champion Australian Two Year Old of 1996-97, Encounter (at Newhaven Park).

  Sent to Australia for the spring of 1997, Danehill Dancer was initially at Collingrove Stud in NSW but now stands at this stud’s Victorian branch at Nagambie.