211th ‘down under’ stakes success for Art Major in Mares classic

Diamond Harness Racing Stables scored win number 199 for the partnership of Robert & Jenna Dunn when taking out tonight’s (May 5) Rico Lodge Uncut Gems Mares Classic at Listed Level with Dance Till Dawn (Art Major).

The ultra-consistent mare was having her 14th start at Addington Raceway in the $40,000 conditioned Sires Stakes feature for pacing females and duly picked up her third win on course in the process.

Driven aggressively by leading reinsman John Dunn, Dance Til Dawn was burnt hard off the gate early to take the top from the last start winner, Arden’s Delight, in a slick lead-up time of 24.1.

Any hope of John Dunn getting a breather for his mare went out the window when the well-fancied Bob Butt stablemates worked forward to sit outside her wheel with the G1 placed Manhattan giving cover to Kikorangi Blue and Blair Orange.

Dunn took matters into his own hands and put the foot down again, running the opening quarter in 29.8.

The G2 Premiere Mares Championship winner, Folklore and Johnny Cox worked forward to give Dance Til Dawn something to think about, albeit with Dunn pinching a cheap quarter down the back.

The speed was back on at the 800m and it was evident the chasing pack were all off the bit, with the 13-horse field strung out like browns cows as they rounded the final bend for the run home.

Under the urges of her reinsman, Dance Til Dawn continued to find and fought gallantly to the finish, withstanding the challenges of the two stakes winning mares in Manhattan and Folklore to record an impressive all the way victory.

DANCE TILL DAWN REPLAY

The winning time for the 1980m journey was 2:23.0 with a slick last mile of 1:56.2 off the front giving credence to the hectic pace being set for the chasing pack. The closing sectionals were 57.3 and 29.1 in the run to the judge.

Dance Til Dawn was a $40,000 yearling sales purchase back in 2020 at Christchurch as part of the Taffy Ltd consignment. She was bred by Todd and Fleur Anderson of Winton from the Bettor’s Delight mare Shimmy Shoes who in turn is a daughter of the G2 North Island Breeders Stakes winner, Hot Shoe Shuffle (Falcon Seelster).

Despite being the winner of just four races, Dance Til Dawn is the winner of $140,000 in races stakes, thanks in part to her five placings in major stakes races at Age Group level as a filly.

The win of Dance Til Dawn in the Listed feature was the 211th Southern Hemisphere stakes win for her evergreen sire, Art Major.

She is raced by owners A D Neumann, I M Neumann, V R L Neumann, Mrs E J Hintz, B W Clarke, J A Slack, and S Langdon.

For complete Addington race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink