Dance In The Grass A Stakes First For Cracksman

Jaber Abdullah's Dance In The Grass (GB) (Cracksman {GB}–Dance The Dream {GB}, by Sir Percy {GB}) became the fifth winner for her freshman sire (by Frankel {GB}) when snagging her June 10 debut, going seven furlongs at Sandown in her only prior start, and registered a first stakes win for the Dalham Hall Stud resident in Thursday's Listed European Bloodstock News EBF Star S. over the same course and distance. The eventual winner was squeezed for room during the initial exchanges and raced off the pace towards the rear through the early fractions. Making headway out wide in the straight, she was shaken up to go second soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and kept on in determined fashion to deny Fairy Cross (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) by 3/4-of-a-length nearing the line, with the duo pulling six lengths clear of the remainder.

“It was Plan Z as she missed the break and was a lot further back than intended, but I was impressed as she had to make a lot of ground up,” said Charlie Johnston. “Because she made such a big effort I thought she was going to pay for that in the last 150 yards, but she managed to find even more so it was impressive. She's by Cracksman so you wouldn't expect her to be doing this already and, even though it's a small sample size, the Cracksmans are making an impression. We've got three, two have won and the other will be out soon. She's in the [G2] Debutante and [G1] Moyglare in Ireland and I suspect her next run will either be the Moyglare or the [G2] May Hill at Doncaster. Those look the two best options for her. They are in September which is a far way away, but if anything you'd think she would improve for going [up to] a mile.”

Dance In The Grass, half-sister to a yearling colt by Ulysses (Ire) and a weanling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB), is the first of three foals produced by Listed Daisy Warwick S. third Dance The Dream (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}), herself a half-sister to G3 Dee S. placegetter Rasmy (GB) (Red Ransom) out of stakes-winning G1 Vodafone Oaks third Shadow Dancing (GB) (Unfuwain). Shadow Dancing is a daughter of Listed Cheshire Oaks victrix and G2 Park Hill S. runner-up Salchow (GB) (Niniski), herself a half-sister to G3 Chester Vase-winning sire Gulland (GB) (Unfuwain).

Thursday, Sandown, Britain
EUROPEAN BLOODSTOCK NEWS EBF STAR S.-Listed, £40,500, Sandown, 7-21, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:30.16, g/f.
1–DANCE IN THE GRASS (GB), 128, f, 2, by Cracksman (GB)
1st Dam: Dance The Dream (GB) (SP-Eng), by Sir Percy (GB)
2nd Dam: Shadow Dancing (GB), by Unfuwain
3rd Dam: Salchow (GB), by Niniski
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (57,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Jaber Abdullah; B-Minster Stud & Mrs H Dalgety (GB); T-Charlie & Mark Johnston; J-Silvestre de Sousa. £22,968. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $34,261.
2–Fairy Cross (Ire), 128, f, 2, Dubawi (Ire)–Devonshire (Ire), by Fast Company (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £8,708.
3–Lady Alara (Ire), 128, f, 2, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Red Halo (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€75,000 Wlg '20 GOFNOV; 110,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Alara Investments Ltd; B-High Rollers (IRE); T-Charles Hills. £4,358.
Margins: 3/4, 6, NK. Odds: 2.75, 3.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Bet Me (Ire), Inanna (Ire), Mlle Chanel (GB), Ipanema Princess (Ire), Ibiza Love (Ire), Pure Gold (GB), Tagline (GB).

Unbeaten!

Dance In The Grass (Cracksman) makes it two from two with victory in the Listed @bloodstocknews Star Stakes for @SilvDSousa and @Johnston_Racing @Sandownpark pic.twitter.com/7mRZ2zqwT8

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 21, 2022