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Ageless gelding Danleigh has been among the top performers for the past seven seasons and the current campaign looks to be no different after his victory in Saturday's Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm.
It was the ninth Group victory for the 9yo gelding whose earnings top $2.44 million from an overall record of 10 wins 7 seconds and 10 thirds from 55 starts. The 4-time Group 1 winner defeated the favourite Secret Admirer (Dubawi) by three-quarters of a length with Lamasery (Commands) two and a quarter lengths away in third (photo Steve Hart).
The son of Mujahid
(USA) had a throat operation after failing in the Doncaster Mile (G1) in April.
"He'll go to the George Main Stakes (1600m) in two weeks," trainer Chris Waller said.
"We're probably still learning about him
now that he's got a clear throat," he said.
"He's a very special horse to us that has been with us for a long time.
"He just bounces on and off the track each morning. He's showing me that
he's a four or five-year-old. You can ignore his age."
Daneleigh is a homebred for Keith Leonard who
purchased the geldings dam Graceful Lily (Dr Grace) for $1,300 from the
Holbrook Stud consignment at the Inglis Mixed Thoroughbred sale in February
2001.
Danleigh is the second foal of Graceful Lily who failed to run a place in her 5
start career.
Graceful Lily has an 2yo filly by Henrythenavigator (USA) and a yearling colt by the son of Kingmambo. She was bred back to Choisir last season.
Danleigh is one of 25 foals from the second crop of Dewhurst Stakes (G1) winner Mujahid (USA) who served just two seasons at Widden Stud.
The Shadwell Stud owned son of Danzig left three stakes-winners from those two small crops and earned a call-up from Eliza Park Stud four years later. He covered just one season before E.I struck in 2007 and he has not been back since.
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