STREET DANCER SCORES A HARD FOUGHT WIN

By Graham Potter | Saturday, December 3, 2022

The David Vandyke trained Street Dancer prevailed in a highly pressurised finish to take out a Quality Open Handicap over 2000m at Doomben on December 3, scoring in a pulsating conclusion to the race in which only 0.85 lengths separated the first four runners across the line.

Street Dancer was third-up here, extending the distance test to 2000m after having his first-up and second-up runs over 1350m and 1600m respectively.

He finished just a little over a length back in both of those two starts and, with his last win having come over 2200m, a big effort was expected here but, at a starting price of $3.40, Street Dancer did have two market rivals in the form of Aussie Nugget ($3.20) and Greek Hero ($3.90).

While neither of those opponents would prove a stumbling point to Street Dancer, the Vandyke trained chestnut son of Prince Of Dubai did have his work cut out in getting the better of two horses at double figure odds ... Tears Of Love ($11) and Karmazone ($26).

Michael Cahill jumped Street Dancer into the lead from the number one barrier draw at the break and then was happy to go back to second and then third as Tears Of Love and Stardome ($16) went around him as the field left the straight for the first time.

Cahill was happy to keep Street Dancer at a comfortable gallop in third place, saving ground just two lengths off the leader, all the way down the back straight and through the sweep to the home turn.

That’s when things started to get a little bit tight with Street Dancer being momentarily held up on straightening before Cahill managed to push Street Dancer into the clear when going past a tiring Stardome.

With 250m left to run, Tears Of Love was still the one to get and, at the same tine Isabella’s Spring ($21) and Karmazone were starting to extend with meaning down the centre of the track ... and, suddenly it had become a four-way go for the honours with these runners spread right across the track.

Street Dancer was up for the fight though and he rallied under a strong ride from Cahill to manageto peg back Tears Of Love in the final strides while his finishing effort also turned out to be perfectly timed to deny Karmazone, who was flying late and who, arguably, would have got home another couple of strides.

Wins don’t come more hard fought than this.

Street Dancer is now a five-time winner from twenty starts and this latest win took his prize-money earnings through the $300 000 mark.

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