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The desire to keep a yearling filly bred by her family has provided former New Zealand supermodel turned breeder and syndicator Kylie Bax with a Group One winner.
Bax, a daughter of Matamata stud owners Graham and Helen Bax, races the high class Mastercraftsman mare Danzdanzdance, winner of Saturday’s G1 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham.
She bought Dandanzdance back for just $NZ5000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Select Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2016 when she was offered by Blandford Lodge, the Matamata nursery owned by her parents with leading owner Lib Petagna.
Bax, buying under her BAX Bloodstock Achieving Xcellence banner, said she couldn’t let the filly go because she reminded her of a Road To Rock colt she had previously purchased as a yearling for $60,000.That youngster became a Sydney winner under the name of Montaigne before he was sold to Hong Kong where he races as the multiple G1 winner Beauty Generation.
The Chris Gibbs and Michelle Bradley-trained Danzdanzdance had already been G1 placed in this year’s New Zealand Derby and Livamol Classic with Saturday’s breakthrough boosting her career earnings past $NZ300,000.She also finished fifth in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes and sixth in the G1 Australian Oaks when she raced in Sydney in the autumn.
“It’s amazing. She was bred by Mum and Dad and I bought her back at the Select Yearling Sale for $5000,” said Bax.“I cannot explain the excitement. She’s raced by a great and diverse group of owners and some of them have never even had horses before.”
Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman x Night Danza by Danzero) has now had 10 starts for three wins, four placings and $316,713 prize-money.She is the 11th G1 winner and 56th stakes winner by shuttle sire Mastercraftsman, who has enjoyed a fine year with his champion UK filly Alpha Centauri in Europe.
Dandanzdance is from the unraced Danzero mare Night Danza and is one of two winners from the daughter of the G1 South Australasian Oaks placegetter Gretchen (Bahhare).
Gretchen, dam of the Savabeel stakes placed Grand Soleil, is a half-sister to the G2 winner Silky Red Boxer (Casual Lies) and to the dam of the multiple G1 winner Lucia Valentina (Savabeel). The weekend could get even better for Bax as Beauty Generation, the Hong Kong Horse Of The Year and triple G1 winner, is favourite to defend his title in Sunday’s $HK25 million Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin.Night Danza has an unraced 2YO by Tavistock and was covered by Ocean Park last year.