Another Stakes Win for Derby-winning Karaka Graduate

Best-known for winning last year’s $1 million Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie, Ready to Run Sale graduate Vin De Dance (NZ) (Roc de Cambes) added another stakes win to his CV at Matamata on Saturday.

The four-year-old showed all of his fighting qualities to take out the $50,000 Listed Marks Ewen & Associates Kaimai Stakes.

Making just his second start in a new campaign, Vin De Dance loomed on the outside at the turn and stuck his head in front early in the run home. He was challenged on both flanks and clearly headed, but Vin De Dance fought them off to score a determined victory in a three-way photo finish.

“I haven’t had much to do with him, but in his Derby win he fought all the way down the straight and never gave up, so I knew I had that underneath me,” winning jockey Matt Cameron said.

“They got their head in front of him in the straight, but he fought really strongly and got back up to win.”

Co-trainer Andrew Forsman was delighted to see the high-class galloper back in winning form.

“He’s a good horse and still on the way up,” he said. “His first-up run for fourth in the Taranaki Cup was better than we could have imagined, and he has improved out of sight since then.

“There are probably options in Sydney that we will have to consider now, leading into something like the Sydney Cup (3200m, April 13).”

Bought for $70,000 at the 2016 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, Vin De Dance has now had 15 starts for three wins, four placings and $804,890 in stakes. He is raced by breeder Luigi Muollo in partnership with OTI Racing and the Kilted Taniwha Syndicate.

In addition to his two stakes wins, Vin De Dance has also placed in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and was fourth in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Australian Derby (2400m).