BOOGIE DANCER WALTZES INTO THOUSAND GUINEAS

After winning the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield last Saturday, Boogie Dancer (Sooboog x Search For Fame) is now rated as one of the favourites at $8 to win the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) on October 8.

The victory reinforced the opinion and high expectations that Rushton Park owners Kayley and David Johnson had of the filly which they bred at their Tatura farm.

And while there had been good reports on the filly, which was to become Boogie Dancer, from trainer Peter Moody, they didn’t know just how good.

They purchased the dam Search For Fame (Quest For Fame x Catecombe) for $28,000 at the 2017 Inglis Australian Broodmare and Weanling Sale, it was good timing for the Johnsons as good things were being said about her daughter Miss Exfactor (Your Song) who would later go on to win the Group 3 Birthday Stakes in Sydney.

“She was on a very late cover when we bought the mare but we had heard that there was a little bit of talk about Miss Exfactor and we loved the mares pedigree as she traces back to Eight Carat” Kayley said.

Kayley said Boogie Dancer was a beautiful filly from the day she was born.

“We thought she was something pretty special early doors”

Kayley said she liked the mating match-up with Sooboog and the mare.

“The mare is big and tall and quite plain, while he is a beautiful horse, Sooboog. His shape just suited her from a physical point of view. There is also a couple of line breeding crosses further back in the pedigree that match up well” she said.

“He throws beautiful types, and we have had success with him before with Golden Fighter (Sooboog x Soldadera) when he won on debut (in July).”

“The mare was hard to get in foal for the last two years so we made the decision to sell her which is a bit of a shame for us but I’m sure her new owners are excited about what the future holds”

Inglis senior bloodstock consultant Will Stott inspected the filly for the Premier sale.

“He absolutely loved her,” Kayley said.

“As you know when you sell horses, first season sires are often easier to get into sales but second season sires can be a lot trickier, but she was just such a good physical that we really thought she was worthy of a spot at Melbourne, especially with a nice pedigree update through Miss Exfactor behind her.

“I was very surprised that when we took her through the ring that there appeared to be no interest in her whatsoever. Peter (Moody) had been up on the farm to inspect her and I remember on the day that she was one of the ones that he had a hard look at.

“I remember thinking back then that I think he might like her. But if you’ve ever dealt with Peter at a sale, he doesn’t give his cards away easily”

“After Wylie bought her, I was happy because I knew she would go to a good trainer but I was also a bit devastated with the price she made, so I marched down and told Wylie that we want to keep a decent chuck of her.

“He said that’s great, the breeder stays in but it was never a question that we weren’t going to stay in, so it worked out well.”

Kayley said things were great at Rushton Park and they were having a real step-up in what was coming off the farm.

“We bred Quang Tri with some clients (winner of the Listed Gibson Carmichael Stakes) along with Bill The Boxer (Foxwedge x Snippety Eve) who also goes really well,” she said.

“We have Mnementh (Eurozone x Yurrapendi) in the Kosciuszko which is exciting. The farm is starting to hit it’s straps a bit and it’s a good feeling.”

And for syndicator Dalziel, he said the filly had exceeded all expectations for a $50,000 buy.

“You just hope they win some races and pay their way,” he said.

“We only bought four out of that sale and she was the cheapest. We bought a winning Rupert filly, Russian Revolution filly and a Zoustar colt and her.

“The Winning Rupert was $210,000 and the Russian Revolution was $170,000 but she is really well bred and I think we’ll get a result with her as well when she starts running.

“It’s pretty good if you can pluck one out at $50k that is the second or third favourite for the Thousand Guineas.”

Dalziel said that Boogie Dancer had put value in herself as a broodmare prospect after winning the Group 2 race.

“If she wins a Group 1 she will go up even more, but she is very valuable now,” he said.

“She was a really good type and I look at all of them with Moods and she was just a strong filly and the dam was doing a good job…I thought I’d take a punt on her.

“Moody was really keen on her and she was a good type.

“When we got her I said to Moods that I thought we’d pay a bit more for her.”

Dalziel said that he and Moody thought the filly would go for $80,000 to $100,000.

He said he could have filled her with owners two or three times over but bought the filly for owners at a set budget who preferably wanted a Super VOBIS horse.

Last Saturday’s three and a quarter length victory, has taken Boogie Dancer’s record to four wins from six starts for $392,300 in prizemoney.