Lightening Strike! Thunder Dance is kept at it by Karis Teetan to win the Jet Master Stakes
The only filly in a field of eleven slammed her male rivals in emphatic style in Saturday’s Jet Master Stakes run over 1600m at Kenilworth. Brett Crawford’s Thunder Dance has always been way above average.
The shocking withdrawal at the start of this non black-type race of the fancied Ice Machine threw the event wide open with Mike Bass’s Hammie’s Dynasty starting favourite.
Morne Winnaar declared a kilo overweight on Piet Steyn’s Shamardal gelding League Of Honour who charged off to lead the pack.
Turning for home League Of Honour continued to roll in the windless conditions as Thunder Dance and MartialEagle launched their challenges with Ice Diamond flying down the inside.
At the 150m marker Winnaar’s bold move looked to be paying dividends as League Of Honour clung on to a slender lead as Teetan switched Thunder Dance out wide.
Confident Ride. Karis Teetan rode the winner
The game filly managed to grab the leader in the dying stages as the challenges came from all around.
Thunder Dance showed great resilience by powering on to win by 0,3 lengths in a time of 98,75 secs.
In what was the best finish of the afternoon, she held the late charge of the market supported Martial Eagle, with the late scratching stablemate’s Ice Diamond taking forever to get going down the inside rail but nevertheless holding on for a half length third place.
The gallant League Of Honour soldiered on for fourth, just ahead of Fabiani, whom we believe now goes straight into the Queen’s Plate.
Hammie’s Dynasty was always miles out of his ground and ran sixth.
Thunder Dance is now a winner of 5 of her 11 races with 2 places for stakes of R 895 729.
She was bred by Klawervlei Stud and is a daughter of Jet Master out of the high-class Shadow Dancing (Fort Wood). The latter is a former winner of both the Fillies Guineas and Gr1 Majorca Stakes when trained by Joey Ramsden.
The R1 million Gr1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes will be run on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day on 12 January at Kenilworth.
Thunder Dance looks ready to make her bid for the big double.
