Dank

Sir Michael Stoute’s Dank impressed with the manner in which she won a one-mile fillies’ handicap at Ascot on Saturday on her fourth start, and that could be a springboard for bigger success now.

Always travelling strongly in the middle of the pack, Richard Hughes just had to angle her outside of Estrela having unsuccessfully attempted to explore a passage towards the inside, and she picked up really impressively once switched out, with minimal effort from her rider. Hughes in fact seemed surprised at how quickly she got to the front, he steered her across to the stands rail, and he gave her a flick of the whip to keep her up to her work as Rugosa attempted to come at her, but the result was never in doubt and she was value for much more than the one-and-three-quarter-length winning margin.

This was a decent race, Dank was racing against her elders for the first time, although the three-year-olds completely dominated, and Diala was really well backed against her. She could hardly have been more impressive, and even a 10lb rise is unlikely to have got close to the ceiling of her ability.

By Dansili, she appreciated this fast ground, and she can go on again from here. A mile certainly looks her trip at present, but she is bred to be better over a mile and a quarter, being closely related to Eagle Mountain out of a triple mile-and-a-quarter winner, and she may even improve for stepping up in trip in due course. She is exciting.

28th July 2012