Trainer labels colt as his ‘best ever’

Shane Sanderson is a reserved sort of guy, but there’s no mistaking his excitement around a rising star of Victorian harness racing ranks, his lightly-raced three year old Dangerous (Sweet Lou).

“He’s definitely the complete package—he’s without doubt the best I’ve ever had and certainly looks to have a bright future,” Sanderson said.

“I really like his attitude. He’s very relaxed, great to work with and a good-gaited horse. He’s still a colt, but you wouldn’t know it because he’s no trouble at all,” he said.

“We’ve got a nice campaign mapped out for him over the next six or seven weeks and hopefully we have a bit of luck along the way.”

Dangerous, a warm favorite in race 4 at 7.43 pm at Swan Hill tonight (Jan 18), has a record of five starts for three wins and two placings for nearly $50K in stakes. Sanderson plans to tackle the $100,000 VHRC Caduceus 3yo Classic (group 2) at Melton in 10 days before travelling to Sydney.

Dangerous is raced by Paul and Danny Lowry, John Wilson, Leon Hogan, Rob Hodge and Max Dillon and Sanderson is still pinching himself at his good fortune in the opportunity to prepare the pacer.

After shifting from Sydney to Charlton early in 2021 Sanderson was approached by the well-known and enthusiastic local group to buy a horse.

“I’d only shifted down about a month before and the guys put their trust in me by virtually given me a free rein to get them something worthwhile,” he said.

Sanderson attended a Nutrien Sale and was impressed not only by the striking looks of the colt, but his breeding.

“The dam Ark Monroe was sired by Presidential Ball. She was a prolific winner and from the Ark family which dominated up in Queensland for a long time,” he said.

Ark Monroe was prepared by champion Qld trainer-driver Grant Dixon and his late father Bill at their Tamborine property. The mare had 14 wins and 17 placings from 52 starts in 2009 to 2012.

Dangerous was broken in by Charlton HRC president Joey Thompson and made an impressive race debut at Hamilton (July 13), winning in 1.54-9 with Sanderson’s son Ryan in the sulky.

A little over a fortnight later, the pair posted a second win, this time at Melton. A brief Sydney campaign saw the then two-year-old run third in a heat of the Nutrien Equine Alabar Farms feature, followed by a game second to First Responder (Art Major) in the $175,000 G1 Final.

“The horse went super in those events. He handled himself well and I’m sure he’ll be better for it this time,” Sanderson said.

Sanderson, who has multiple group victories to his name, is confident Dangerous will surpass his previous best, Maywyn Jasper (Village Jasper) who battled breathing problems throughout his career, but won 11 from 32 starts, including the Gr 1 APG Gold in 2010.

Ideally, Sanderson would like Dangerous to have another lead-up run, in addition to the Swan Hill and Cauduceus Classic appearances, before the Sydney Derby heats on February 25.

“Our daughter Abby drove Dangerous at his last win at Cobram (Jan 8). I’d promised her a drive on the horse and now she is campaigning vehemently to stay on!” Sanderson said.

“She has deferred Uni studies for a year and is working with us full time now and is just so passionate about her driving and racing.  Ryan will get the nod, though, and he’ll be busy going backwards and forwards to Menangle, because we’re planning to take up a team of about six or seven to be stabled there.”

Sanderson has 22 horses in work, with 16 of them two and three-year-olds.

“We’ve got some real nice ones in amongst them and a great bunch of owners at the moment. Things have been going well over the last few months and the signs are positive for some consistent results on race days,” he said.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink