Tag Archive for: Dancing City

Dancing City backs up Aintree win with gritty Punchestown success

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Dancing City had to dig deep to repel the challenge of fellow Willie Mullins runner High Class Hero in the Channor Real Estate Group Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.

The winner was sent off as the 7-4 favourite in the hands of Paul Townend having claimed Grade One glory at last month’s Grand National meeting at Aintree, but he had ground to find with Stellar Story, who had beaten him by just over seven lengths in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham.

Dancing City was clearly travelling well at the top of the straight and while he easily had the measure of Stellar Story, High Class Hero served it up to him after jumping the last.

Townend’s mount responded to every urging though, and while the second tried his best, Dancing City held a half-length advantage at the line.

The victory was a third at Grade One level for Dancing City, having also struck at the Dublin Racing Festival back in February and Mullins lauded the winner’s attitude.

Dancing City leads High Class Hero over the last
Dancing City leads High Class Hero over the last (Niall Carson/PA)

He said: “It just shows how tough he is that he’s been to every racing Festival, it takes a lot of doing. It all goes well for the future going over fences.

“He did quite well coming back from Aintree. We haven’t done that before – Cheltenham, Aintree, Punchestown. It looks achievable so we might do more of it in the future!

“He didn’t show how good he was until we went out in trip.

“High Class Hero ran very well and looked for a minute that he might upset Paul.”

Betfair make Dancing City a 10-1 chance for next year’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham

Townend added: “He was (a good winner in Aintree) and I thought he had a hard race the last day.

“He has danced every dance, so to turn up here and perform was a big performance.

“He was disappointing at the start of his career, but he is more than making up for it now.

“In Aintree, when I left the back straight, I thought I was stuffed and, by the time I got into the straight, I was back on the bridle so he is a little bit deceiving.”

He went on: “He doesn’t kill himself when he gets to the front and I got all mixed up with reins wrapped around my hand and everything, so all I could do was try to not interfere with him. He stuck it out well.

“He is indeed (progressive) and he is very deceiving. I was actually going to ride another one in Aintree and it got withdrawn on the day, so these things can work out for the best sometimes.

“I thought I bottomed him in Aintree, but he bounced out of it well and he’s a tough horse and a good horse.”



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Dancing City hits the right notes in Sefton success

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Dancing City strutted his way to a cosy success in the Cavani Sartorial Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.

A surprise Grade One winner at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old was third when upped to three miles for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Paul Townend’s mount was placed alongside fellow Joe and Marie Donnelly-owned runner Shanagh Bob as the duo tracked the steady pace set by Albert Bartlett runner-up The Jukebox Man and Pertemps second Kyntara.

The tempo was increased turning for home and as Kyntara began to retreat it was Dancing City who appeared in The Jukebox Man’s slipstream travelling menacingly.

Townend stalked his prey down to the final flight, with the rider simply having to keep the 4-1 winner up to his work in the closing stages as the gelding kept on for a five-and-a-half-length triumph, reversing Cheltenham form with The Jukebox Man who bravely held on for second.

Kyntara took a heavy fall at the last, but was thankfully able to walk away.

Mullins said: “It was a great ride from Paul because the game looked up crossing the bottom for about five or six strides and Paul even thought the game was up himself when he was off the bridle.

“But Paul just sat and sat and nursed him until they got over the last because it took some getting. They finished very tired and the second horse was especially tired, it was testing ground out there so it was a good performance.

“It’s taken a long time for him to show me he’s the horse we thought he was when we bought him. A few times we thought we should maybe ship him on, but he’s come right now and he’s going to make an exciting novice chaser. My father always used to say to me ‘patience’ which obviously at the time I didn’t really understand, but some horses just need time to come to themselves.

“He could have easily thrown in the towel today when he was off the bridle but he didn’t, and that’s the difference between the good ones and the bad ones and he looks another good one for Joe Donnelly.”

Ben Pauling was quick to pay tribute to the The Jukebox Man, who is owned by Harry Redknapp.

“He’s now run two fabulous races at both Cheltenham and Aintree, to finish second in both of them is not bad, albeit we all want to win,” he said.

“He was fairly pestered the whole way today. I thought Deutschy (Charlie Deutsch, rider of Kyntara) was softening us both up and Willie’s horse has just been able to sit in behind and come through and win.

“Hopefully our horse is a very nice horse for the future, he’s going to be very exciting over fences next season. We’ll drop back to two and a half and see, as he doesn’t need three.

“I think he might be a shade better over two and a half as he has got gears.”

Redknapp, who had earlier seen his Cheltenham Festival hero Shakem Up’Arry finish last of 17 in the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences, said of The Jukebox Man: “He jumped so well, I just thought the other horse was pestering him the whole way and probably didn’t let us get the breather in.

“Kielan (Woods) said he’s a fantastic horse and Ben said we could drop back to two and a half next season over fences, so we’ve got a lot to look forward to.”

Of Shakem Up’Arry, he added: “He jumped well and never missed a fence, but maybe the run at Cheltenham might just have took it out of him, that’s what Ben felt.

“It’s difficult to win at Cheltenham and come back and win here, I’m sure the records tell you that. He’s come back safe and sound and we’ll look forward to next year with him too.

“I’ve had a lovely day and to see The Jukebox Man run so well again, I’m delighted.

“We’ve got Bowtogreatness as well, we think there’s a big race in him in the future and we’re going to Punchestown with him.

“I love it, it’s my big passion and to go to Cheltenham and come here and have horses that can compete is great for me, it’s what I enjoy.”



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Dancing City springs surprise in DRF opener

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The Dublin Racing Festival began as many expected with a Willie Mullins-trained winner, but not with the one most predicted, as complete outsider Dancing City beat favourite Predators Gold in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle.

With Paul Townend plumping for Predators Gold from the four Mullins runners, punters took that as a clear hint he was seen as the number one contender, despite stepping up six furlongs in trip from his Christmas outing.

Townend settled the market leader at the rear, as Danny Mullins on Dancing City (16-1) set out to make the running at a sedate tempo, but Rachael Blackmore was having none of it and after half a mile Jetara was allowed to stride on.

Blackmore had a scary moment approaching the second last when she lost her left stirrup but was soon back on an even keel, although the Mullins pair loomed up on the turn for home.

Predators Gold had every chance on the outside but Dancing City kept on finding for pressure and went on to win by a length and a quarter. To Jetara’s credit, she stuck on gamely for third.

Danny Mullins celebrates winning the opener
Danny Mullins celebrates winning the opener (Damien Eagers/PA)

“It was great, I thought the extra trip would suit him,” said Mullins.

“Danny was good on him again, he always just pops up when you least think it!

“I thought Predators Gold might win the race, but Paul said he was doing a little too much throughout.

“That ground is a lot softer than we thought it would be. I think that suited Dancing City more.”

He went on: “The point-to-point experience he had let him settle more, he spat out the bit early on whereas Paul’s fella was too keen, we ran him over two miles at Christmas and that made him a little keen for this, going up in trip.

“I think he (the winner) looks ready made for the Albert Bartlett, he has the experience, he goes the trip and he’ll handle the ground. That’s where we hope he’ll go.

“It was a good performance, he’s improving and on the up. Predators Gold looks more like a Ballymore horse.

“I was disappointed with Loughglynn and I Will Be Baie just couldn’t handle the ground. Loughglynn didn’t jump early on and got worse as the race went on, that was a big disappointment.

“I’m here to find out as well, we think we know but If we did know we’d probably all be driving bigger cars!”

The winner was cut to 12-1 from 50s for the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham by Betfair.



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