Dance Till Dawn Soars Home in Mares Classic

Dance Till Dawn (NZ) (Art Major) gained overdue reward when she stormed home to win the $60,000 Listed Bob McArdle Sires Stakes Southern Mares Classic (1980m) at Addington on Show Day.

The brilliantly consistent NZB Standardbred graduate powered down centre track to go one better than her gritty second placing in the annual mares feature for trainers Robert and Jenna Dunn and driver John Dunn.

Dance Till Dawn drifted towards the back of the field on a strong early speed setting her a big task with a lap to go.

But when John Dunn was able to find a tow into the event three wide, the five-year-old was close enough on the turn to strike.

And she did exactly that to overpower the leaders and record the second black-type win of her outstanding career, having previously taken out the $40,000 Uncut Gems Mares Classic (2600m) at the same track.

In winning, Dance Till Dawn took her career earnings just short of $250,000 for owners Alan Neumann, Ian Neumann, Vinnie Neumann, Emma Hintz, Brent Clarke, Jonathan Slack and Su Langdon.

The group secured Dance Till Dawn through the Dunns’ Diamond Racing who purchased the mare for $40,000 from breeder-vendors Taffy Ltd at the 2020 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

Dance Till Dawn was only just denied in last year’s edition of the Bob McArdle Sires Stakes Southern Mares Classic when running a game second behind fellow NZB Standardbred graduate Manhattan (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight).

The mare’s win was the second leg in an outstanding treble of wins for Todd and Fleur Anderson’s Taffy Ltd at Show Day at Addington.

The Southlanders bred star half-siblings Merlin (NZ) (Art Major) and Captains Mistress (NZ) (Captaintreacherous) who scored Group One victories each side of Dance Till Dawn’s Listed win.