In Brief
- A Spanish Dance now three from four for Butler stable.
- Trainer to aim her at the Oaks.
- Butler disappointed with Vonns Angel.
Three-year-old filly A Spanish Dance stamped herself as one of the state’s leading contenders for Saturday week’s Group 3 Tasmanian Oaks with a dominant win in Sunday night’s Team Teal Three-Year-Old Fillies Championship at Ladbrokes Park in Hobart.
Driven by hall of fame reinsman Gareth Rattray, A Spanish Dance settled well back in the field before Rattray took the mare around the field to race outside the leader from the mile mark.
From there the daughter of A Rocknroll Dance proved too classy in a mile rate of 2m 0.4s for the 2090 metre trip where she scored by 2.3 metres over Missin Rock with Tilly Max a further 5.4 metres away.
“She done it well and they went a good time too,” said winning trainer Marc Butler about the win.
A Spanish Dance joined Butler’s stable in January, and she has undoubtedly been a good money-spinner for her new connections.
“We had an eye on her for a little bit, and I was trying to buy her for one group, and Leigh Barker rang and asked me if he could buy her if I could train her, the two groups of owners ended up merging into one to get her,” explained Butler.
“She won first up, and then we got beat a head in Devonport, she has then won her next two, so hopefully she can keep improving,” added the trainer who indicated that the filly would press onto the Tasmanian Oaks.
“At this stage, we will run her in the Oaks and then give her three weeks to a month off and then aim her for the Bandbox (Tasmanian Sires’ Stakes), we will then give her a good break after that,” said Butler.
“We might have to drive her a little bit soft (in the Oaks) depending on what comes over from the mainland,” added the Pipers River-based trainer.
Butler was also represented in the Team Teal Three-Year-Old Fillies Championship by Vonns Angel who finished second last of the eight-horse field after starting the $2.20 favourite,
“I was disappointed, (with her run), she didn’t pull up the best, I will pull a blood test from her, and if everything is good, we will press on to the Oaks,” said Butler.
Butler is yet to win a Tasmanian Oaks, but he has won a Tasmanian Derby with Joesashyguy in 1999.