Article published on 21 July 2010
Trainer Chalks up One Two in Dance Smartly Stakes
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Open to fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, the 1 1/8 mile Dance Smartly Stakes attracted a field of six runners, including 2/1 favorite Ave. But it was Attfield's second entry, 8/1 shot Mekong Melody, that shined the brightest.
When the race got underway, Mekong Melody's jockey Patrick Husbands kept the 5-year-old mare comfortably in the middle of the pack, but not far off the pace, happy to let early pacemaker First Circle do all the work.
But coming into the midstretch, Husbands asked Mekong Melody for more, and she responded with a burst of speed that put her in the lead, which she did not relinquish until she crossed the line first, barely a nose ahead of Ave.
Points of Grace, the winner of last year's Dance Smartly Stakes, snatched third place. Mekong Melody covered the firm Woodbine track in a time of 1:46.09 and paid $13.90, to the joy of punters smart enough to back her.
The result was particularly impressive considering it was Mekong Melody's first start of the year. Bred in Ireland, the Dance Smartly Stakes was the mare's fourth victory out of five runs since being shipped over from Ireland.
Sunday's superb effort netted her owner David Egan a cool $180,000. For Husbands, the victory was his tenth of the race meeting at Woodbine which put him tie with fellow jockey, Chantal Sutherland.
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