Private Dancer No Sure Thing For WA Oaks
6 March, 2018
Thoroughbred
Trainer Trevor Andrews says he will consider taking a conservative approach with Private Dancer and ending her autumn campaign prematurely.
Private Dancer is an early fancy for the WA Oaks on April 14, but Andrews may hold her back with an eye to Group 1 races at Ascot later in the summer.
Private Dancer underlined her potential last year when she ran a close second in the Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) and according to Andrews she has shown further improvement since returning this campaign.
The daughter of Oratorio won stylishly first-up and on Saturday clinched her maiden stakes victory when defeating Showcase by 3/4 of a length in the Listed Challenge Stakes (1500m).
Private Dancer will strive to make it a winning hat trick in next fortnight’s Ascot 1000 Guineas (1800m), but Andrews is reluctant to commit to next month’s WA Oaks.
“She has come through the run really well and steps up to 1800m next start,” Andrews told Tabradio’s The Sports Daily.
“It’s another nice Listed race for fillies and hopefully she accounts for herself well, but we are very happy with her two runs back.
“We will keep stepping her up, but I’m not confident she will get an Oaks trip and I’m not even confident she will go that way.
“We will go to the 1000 Guineas and that will tell us a bit.
“She could be a nice Railway-Kingston Town horse come the end of the year, so I’m mindful of not stretching her out too far.
“We will let her tell us and if need be the next start she will go for a break and come back for the summer.
“She has improved from her first prep to her second quite remarkably, but she is not really bred to stay.
“Races like the Northerly leading into the Railway are quite attractive at the end of the year.
“You don’t want to be missing out on nice races (Oaks), but sometimes with these fillies you don’t want to be stretching them out too far.”
Julio Santarelli