Dance Has Classic Aspirations

Short Dance booked her place in the line-up for the Boylesports Irish 1000 Guineas with a hugely impressive performance in testing ground at York.

The 9-2 shot spread-eagled her rivals in the Michael Seely Memorial Fillies' Stakes, clearly handling conditions better than her rivals and to score by 12 lengths under Richard Hughes.

Third in the Fred Darling Stakes on her reappearance, the form of that race was done little harm when winner Nasheej went on to finish third in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

And Short Dance is now set to bid for Classic success of her own in at the Curragh on Sunday week.

'We thought she might just be two or three lengths behind the best but when you see her go and win like that you have got to give it a go,' said winning trainer Barry Hills.

Hughes was completing a Listed race double after Gilded's success in the Langleys Solicitors EBF Marygate Stakes.

The Richard Hannon-trained filly stepped on wins at Warwick, Newmarket and Salisbury to claim the five-furlong affair.

Hughes tracked long-time leader Kerry's Dream for most of the race but after running short of room one and a half furlongs from home as that rival drifted left, he made a decisive switch around that horse to get a telling clear run.

The 11-8 favourite, who was giving weight all round, quickened nicely thereafter and although runner-up Amber Valley came with a rattling late run, he could not catch Gilded, who had half a length in hand of her nearest rival at the finish.

'The ground is very tough out there, it's sticky and it's very windy as well,' Hughes said.

'The leader came across me a little bit and I didn't want to be that far left so I just switched her into the middle.

'She's tough this filly, she only picks up when you give her a few smacks.'

Richard Hannon junior, assistant to his father, confirmed that Royal Ascot's Queen Mary Stakes ? for which she is quoted at 9-1 by Cashmans ? was a likely plan for the successful filly.

'She'll have a week off now and then we might have to look at Ascot but she's in the Super Sprint at Newbury and that's actually what she was bought for,' he said. 'Six furlongs ought to suit her even better too.

'Hughesy said that she didn't like the ground but she obviously handled it but that's her ? she's just so tough.'

Former BHB chairman Peter Savill was on hand to see his Peppertree Lane take the VC Casino.com Stakes with a resolute display.

Kevin Darley made all on the Mark Johnston-trained 11-8 favourite who landed a Ripon maiden on his last start.

Racing into a strong headwind it looked as if the Peintre Celebre colt was a sitting duck but he fended off the late challenge of Anna Pavlova.

Peppertree Lane won by three and a half lengths and the first two pulled well clear of the third horse, the Mark Tompkins-trained Kinsya.

'We've had very adverse weather and it has just taken a bit of time for some of them (Johnston's horses) to come into themselves,' said Darley.

'With a horse like this that relishes these conditions you're OK ? but you either go on it or you don't.'

The winner is likely to be aimed at the 50th running of Haydock's Totesport Silver Bowl on Saturday week.

Borderlescott was all out to hold the late challenge of Rising Shadow to take the six-furlong Countrywide Freight Stakes.

A course-and-distance winner when taking the valuable Coral Sprint last season, Robin Bastiman's charge was fast away and made all to score at 12-1.

? PA Sport