Bridal Waltz turns the tables on She’s An Artist
Co-trainer Peter Moody was quietly confident Bridal Waltz (Snitzel) could turn the tables on raging favourite She’s An Artist (Trapeze Artist) in Saturday’s Creswick Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Flemington and she did not let him down, finishing strongly to take the Listed race.
After finishing 4.2 lengths adrift of impressive winner She’s An Artist at HQ on June 21, Bridal Waltz was sent out a $13 chance and held off the Ciaron Maher-trained $1.30 favourite by a fairly comfortably 0.8 lengths, with 1.5 lengths back to Duchess Zou (Zoustar) in third.
Moody, who trains in partnership with Katherine Coleman, said there were a few factors leading into the Creswick that he thought could help bridge the gap.
“She did very well post Adelaide so we sort of decided that she went into that [last run] probably slightly underdone,” he said.
“She was ready to peak today but obviously respectful of the two that beat her coming here from the other day, but we thought we were in the wrong part of the track.
“We were quietly confident we could turn it around, we just had to hope the favourite maybe wasn’t as good as the hype.”
Moody said Bridal Waltz was a very straightforward filly who will likely have a short break before targeting further stakes races in the spring.
“She’s just a gutsy little filly from a terrific family,” Moody said.
“She Dances; her sister who we sold earlier in the year and this filly, and we’ve got the two-year-old at home that we quietly like as well, so they’re all just nice running horses.
“She just added very much to her value, she’s been stakes placed here and now she’s a stakes winner which is so very important.
“I would think a little few weeks off now, let the dust settle, and then just pick our mark carefully through the spring without trying to be too excited.”
It was a case of husband against wife in the final 200 metres as Ben Melham held wife Jamie at bay, the pair having recently returned from honeymooning overseas.
“A fair chance of sleeping in the spare room, I would imagine,” Ben Melham joked.
“My filly dug really deep when I needed her to. She just got a lovely rhythm for me.
“I was just able to control the race, control the speed. She was a fit horse and just let down too quickly.”
Bred and raced by O E & D R Pope, Bridal Waltz is out of winning mare Charleston Dancer (Lonhro), making her a half-sister to Group 3 scorer She Dances (Street Boss).
Charleston Dancer herself is a daughter of Group 2 winner Innovation Girl (Rubiton), who is also the dam of stakes-winning duo Ideas Man (Brazen Beau) and Chloe In Paris (Exceed And Excel), the latter of whom produced Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau).
Charleston Dancer’s filly by Street Boss (Street Cry) was bought by Gaire for $140,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale earlier this year and the mare was covered by Street Boss’s multiple Group 1-winning champion son Anamoe last September.
Bridal Watz became the 161st individual stakes winner for Arrowfield Stud’s four-time Champion Sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), who was humanely euthanized a few weeks ago after succumbing to age-related issues.