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Dale Dances Through The Damp

Not A Dancer backed up her first-up victory at Canberra 19 days ago with another win in today's Randwick Equine Centre Handicap at Canterbury.

The Matt Dale trained filly saluted the judge in her last start at Thoroughbred Park by 2½-lengths and was the $3.50 favourite in today's race for three-year-olds who had not yet won in metropolitan grade.

Not A Dancer jumped well from barrier-two and maintained inside running throughout the race before cementing her spot at the front of the pack around the bend, and battled home strongly to win by 1¼-lengths to Hannah Jane.

Apprentice jockey Andrew Stead rated the filly well with Dale saying that he was always confident in getting the win so long as he got the three-year-old to the lead of the race.

“She's a free-running filly, and I said that you can use an extra 10-percent holding the lead because we got the barrier,” Dale said.

“Drawing the inside gate assisted but it was a good on-pace performance. She did get taken on there for quite a bit of the race.”

Stead agreed with Dale that getting to the lead was paramount in being triumphant in today's race.

“Matty said before the race that we knew there was a lot of pace but we drew the good barrier so we thought we would just use it up that bit more early,” Stead said.

“I think she's a bit better on top of the ground and it just took her a furlong to find her feet, but once we sort of picked the bridle up she travelled real nice.”

Dale is yet to confirm where he will be sending Not A Dancer to contest her third-up run this campaign.

“There is a couple of options in between Sydney and Melbourne. . .hopefully get her back here over 1200m where there's a Listed race for three-year-old fillies,” he said.


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