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Red Ransom stallion Roc De Cambes sired his second Group One winner when the 3YO gelding Vn De Dance’swon the New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie.
In a tight finish, the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Vin De Dance (Roc De Cambes x Explosive Dancer by San Luis) defeated Mongolianconquerer (Ocean Park) by a nose with Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman) third.
Vin De Dance joins He’s Our Rokkii as G1 winners by Roc De Cambes, who stands at The Oaks Stud in New Zealand.Vin De Dance was bought by Phill Cataldo Bloodstock for $70,000, while Mongolianconqueror was a $130,000 purchase by Te Akau principal David Ellis, who bought Gingernuts a year earlier for $42,500.
Vin De Dance is trained by Baker and Forsman for the OTI Syndicate managed by Terry Henderson with partners Luigi Muollo and the Kilted Taniwha Syndicate.“I rarely get emotional, but I’ve waited a long time to win this,” Henderson said. “I’ve come close a few times and I owe an enormous debt to this race and New Zealand-bred horses, it’s really special.
Vin De Dance has had nine starts for two wins, four placings and $639,969 in prize-money – more than nine times his purchase price.He is one of two winners out of the stakes-placed Explosive Dancer (San Luis), a half-sister to the stakes winner Extra Explosive (Ekraar).
Vin De Dance’s yearling half-brother by Per Incanto was sold by Novara Park for NZ$70,000 to Hong Kong trainer Tony Cruz at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale earlier this year.It was the third Derby in the last four years to have been won by a Ready to Run Sale graduate. The 2015 winner Mongolian Khan, who was also trained by Baker and Forsman, was a $220,000 purchase.
Mongolianconqueror has now earned $211,875, almost twice his purchase price. The third placegetter Danzdanzdance is also a Karaka graduate, bought for just $5000 at the Select Sale. She has now earned $130,250 in prize-money.The first four was made up by another Ready to Run sale graduate The Mayor, who was a $52,000 purchase for Hughes Bloodstock.