Ready to dance into $30,000 Group 3

Harness racing’s Todd Prest heads to Dubbo on Friday night with high hopes that his smart filly, Sporty Dancer can take out the Group 3 $30,000 Cobbitty Equine Red Ochre Classic.

Prest only trains a small team of three pacers from his base at Leeton and initially leased Sporty Dancer with the option to purchase the filly, which he and co-owner Corina Hosie did after her two-year-old campaign.

“She is still only a three-year-old filly but she has already taken us on a great ride,” said Prest.

“As a two-year-old she won at her first four outings before heading to Melbourne where she contested some of the better races and did not disgrace herself.

“After coming back from Melbourne, I only gave her a couple of starts before sending her for a spell with the Queensland Oaks in mind.

“I sent her up to Shannon Price and she ran second in the Redcliffe Oaks, third in the Queensland Oaks and won the South-East Oaks, which made the whole exercise worthwhile.

“After returning home she contested the three-year-old Fillies Breeders Crown in Victoria, making it to the final, which was a strong contest won by Ladies In Red.

“The Red Ochre was the next mission on our radar.

“It has been a race that I have always wanted to be in and hopefully win.

“We were more than happy with her heat win.

“She travelled home well and has done everything right since then so we are heading back to Dubbo pretty confident that she has a top chance.

“We knew Sporty Dancer would draw off the back row, but I think if she can get a similar trip to the one she had last week, her opposition will know she is there.

“I will leave the rest up to Toddy Day, who drove her perfectly in the qualifying heat.

“I have no doubt that both Amanda Turnbull’s horses will be big threats to our filly.

“Sweet Heaven was strong in her heat win and has drawn well tonight, while Fasika got close to us last week.

“The other filly I feel is a big hope is Bernie Hewitt’s Ballerini, who made up a stack of ground after missing away.”

Tonight’s Carnival of Cups boasts a strong nine-race program with more than $135,000 in prizemoney and trophies on offer.

To view the fields for Dubbo on Friday click here.

By Michael Dumesny for HRNSW