Dainty Tess Books East Coast Trip
7 April, 2018
Thoroughbred
Iron mare Dainty Tess has booked herself a trip to Adelaide for next month’s Group 1 Sangster Stakes (1200m) following a typically tough win in the Marjorie Charleson Classic (1200m) at Ascot this afternoon.
The War Chant mare was having her first start since February and had to dig deep to win the $100,000 event against a field which, on paper, she looked to have a class edge on.
Sweet Ora set the tempo throughout the race, with Dainty Tess on her outside, with the Adam Durrant-trained mare giving Dainty Tess plenty to run down at the top of the straight.
Dainty Tess was under urgent riding from Shaun O’Donnell, but she responded in style, to hold out a late charge from the in form Swift Sis, while Royal Missile worked home well to finish third.
For trainer Dan Morton, it was a second successive win in the race, after Dendee won it 12 months ago.
Morton said he was nervous prior to the race but was full of praise for the ride of O’Donnell.
“It was always going to be an awkwardly run race,” he said.
“I gave Shaun one instruction ‘stay out of trouble’.”
Morton has a five race programme in both Adelaide and Brisbane mapped out for Dainty Tess, culminating in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara at Doomben in June.
“I like to give them a hit out here and blow the cobwebs out and make sure everything is ticking over,” he said.
“We’re under no illusions that (Sangster Stakes) is going to be a very tough race.”
Meanwhile, Neville Parnham has ruled out sending Amelia Park Plate (1000m) winner Super Stardom around in next week’s Group 2 Karrakatta Plate.
Jockey Jason Brown didn’t have to go around a horse aboard the two-year-old filly, as she upstaged some of her more fancied rivals at just her second race start.
Tim Walker