Rommel mare Desert Dancing didn’t take long to open her account in WA when racing second-up for trainer Rob Gulberti at Northam on Wednesday.
Racing in the blue and green diagonal-striped silks of Ridgeport Farm owner Santo Guagliardo, she had doubled up at Murray Bridge and Morphettville last year for trainers Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea before transferring back home this season.
Desert Dancing finished fourth when resuming after a nine-month spell at Bunbury last month and she dodged trouble in the straight on Wednesday to score by a long-neck from unlucky even-money favourite Art Session (Sessions).
Winning jockey Clint Johnston-Porter defeated his younger brother Zephen who was bailed up on the rails before getting out late. “She can only keep improving and that’s definitely not her last win over here,” Clint declared. “She was super first-up and this looked a winnable race today. We weren’t far off the leaders and she dug deep out wide.”
Stable rep Sharon Andrews said Desert Dancing had come to hand nicely at Desert Glow Lodge in Karnup. “She showed a fair bit in Adelaide and Rob was happy with her run at Bunbury. She’s a bit tubby but we were hoping for more of the same today.”
Desert Dancing is the first foal of Grey Dancer (Choisir) and the mare’s most recent delivery at Ridgeport’s Waroona nursery is a filly foal by Darling View sire Splintex (Snitzel). Her second and third dams Shamardani (Shamardal) and Preview (Kenmare) were both Sydney winners at Randwick and Warwick Farm respectively.
Fourth dam Stage Hit (Century) was a Group 2 winner in Sydney and Melbourne and was a renowned matron producing black-type winners Encores (Marscay), Irradiate (Rassendyll) and Sir Laurence (Bletchingly). Her daughters also foaled G1 VRC Sires Produce Stakes winner Pillaging (Marauding), G3 Illawarra 2YO Classic winner Splendid Horse (Geiger Counter) and NZ Listed winner Del Toro (Deputy Governor).
Rommel (Commands) sired six individual winners in June including a TBWA Winner of the Week in Twisted Steel. He stands with Ducimus (Snitzel) at Ridgeport Farm and they’re available at $5,500 (inc GST) service fees. For bookings or further information call Marge Ojapold (0497 478 231), Grant Burns (0410 683 470), Steve Hoare (0409 987 970).
