Photo: Brett Holburt Racing Photos
The Hawkins family are hoping Saintly Dancer (St Mark's Basilica) can go a couple of places better than former star graduate Lickety Split in the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday week.
The Wentwood Grange-bred filly emerged as a leading contender with a dominant six-length win in the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
It was a familiar result for the Cambridge nursery, which won the same race four years ago with Lickety Split, who subsequently finished third in the Thousand Guineas.
“Lickety Split ran third in her race before the Manifold, won the Manifold, and then finished third in the Thousand Guineas,” Dean Hawkins said.
“Saintly Dancer was better in that she was second in her race before the Manifold, so hopefully she can go a couple of places better in the big one.”
Saintly Dancer is out of the winning So You Think mare Thinkyoudance, who Wentwood Grange bought for A$22,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale.
“My father bought her out of the ring because she just looked like So You Think,” Hawkins said.
The mare was sent to Australia to visit St Mark’s Basilica, a mating Wentwood Grange liked on pedigree.
“She was an absolutely beautiful foal, a real strong filly, and we’re very pleased that she went to Ciaron Maher.”
Saintly Dancer was subsequently sold for A$100,000 at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale and has now won two of her five starts.
“You couldn’t not be impressed by that effort in the Manifold,” Hawkins said.
“Rounding the corner she just looked fantastic, and for her to go on and win by five or six lengths is what you always just hope for.”
Thinkyoudance has had mixed fortunes since producing Saintly Dancer. Her Sword Of State filly sold for $50,000 in Book 1 at Karaka earlier this year, but she subsequently slipped to Shamexpress and lost a Derryn foal this spring.
“That’s breeding, unfortunately. But she’s pencilled in to visit Paddington this year; it’s a similar cross to So You Think.”
Saintly Dancer is part of a strong crop of three-year-old fillies associated with Wentwood Grange.
The farm also bred Sweetest Thing, an $80,000 Karaka purchase who won the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m), while Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) winner Hawea was sold through its Karaka draft for $300,000.
“We also sold another stakes winner that year in Back Of The Bus, so it’s been a very good crop of fillies from our drafts that year,” Hawkins said.
Both Sweetest Thing and Hawea could now head towards the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
“We’re very lucky, and we can always dream,” Hawkins said.
Wentwood Grange’s promising young crop was further underlined at Randwick on Saturday when Nonu finished third in the Gr.3 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate (1000m).
The Anamoe colt out of Pride Of Dubai mare Easifar was bred by Llanhennock Trust and Stephanie Hole and sold for $600,000 from Wentwood Grange’s Book 1 draft at Karaka.
“Bjorn Baker loved him at the sales. He was a lovely, lovely colt, who had a great brain on him,” Hawkins said.
“Anamoe was sixth on his debut and for him to be doing this in those early hype races is fantastic for the farm and for New Zealand.”
