A Group I winner in New Zealand at three under the name Hall of Fame, the six year-old Savabeel gelding now races as Dances with Dragon in Hong Kong and he was in top form at Sha Tin on Sunday to score a commanding win in the Group III Premier Plate (1800m).
Dances with Dragon had won two of his three previous starts and bolted way to win this assignment by more than four lengths.
Dances With Dragon has now won four of six starts since switching to the Caspar Fownes stable early this year. The six-year-old, winner of the G1 Levin Classic in New Zealand in 2017, has climbed from a rating of 83 to today’s mark of 104 since joining Fownes.
“He’s won well but he was carrying no weight on his back,” Fownes said. “He’s got a good spot and just sprinted away from them. It doesn’t matter what he does now, he’s proven that he’s up to that level. He’s done his job as far as I’m concerned – his first win was in Class 3 and now he’s got a Group 3 at his fourth win for me so I’m very happy.”
Dances with Dragon was a $100,000 Inglis Easter Yearling purchase from the Newgate Farm draft that was then successfully pinhooked into the NZB Ready to Runs Sale where he was bought by Te Akau Racing for $230,000 from the Lyndhurst Farm draft.
Sold privately to Hong Kong in 2017, he has the overall record of 11 wins and five placings from 40 starts.
Dances with Dragon is the best of two winners from Galileo mare Around the Clock, whose dam is a three-quarter sister to Group I winner Nothin’ Leica Dane.
A yearling full brother to Dances with Dragon was bought by Moody Racing for $180,000 from the KBL Thoroughbreds draft at Inglis Easter.
Around the Clock is now with Aquis after they purchased her for $180,000 last year at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and they will offer her weanling filly by Merchant Navy at the 2020 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale as Lot 1026.
