Filly dancing with the stars

Leading Albany trainer Steve Wolfe says Watch Me Dance deserved her breakthrough black-type victory and has summer carnival plans for the brilliant two-year-old. The star Wolfe galloper claimed the Group 3 Amelia Park WA Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday, justifying her red-hot $1.85 favouritism in the feature race, and will now head for a spell. The I’m All The Talk filly struck trouble in running approaching the 500m mark when The White Witch rolled in and pocketed her but jockey Shaun McGruddy was able to get to the outside nearing the corner in a winning move. McGruddy got the best out of Watch Me Dance in the final 150m as they grabbed Dom To Shoot in the shadows of the post to record her first Group victory. Wolfe said he had high expectations of his filly heading into the race. “It was a bit of a relief, you go in the hot favourite but in those races anything can happen so you just hope that she turns up,” he said. “I was confident she could get the job done and I’m just glad she was able to produce and get it out of the road. “I can relax a little now.” Wolfe confirmed his young star will head to the paddock for a couple of months before returning to possibly target the Group 2 WA Guineas and Group 3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes later in the year. “She will have a few months off and then come back bigger and more mature and target those big three-year-old races later in the year,” Wolfe said. “I never thought she would get this far in her first preparation but after her first run I knew she was something special. You would probably think she is the two-year-old of the year now.” The victory gave Wolfe his second win in the WA Sires’ Produce Stakes in the last three years after Lordhelpmerun delivered success in 2018 while McGruddy notched his fourth win in the WA Sires after previously victories on Paris Petard (2006), Luke’s Luck (2012) and Lordhelpmerun. Wolfe tasted success earlier on the card when ultra-consistent five-year-old gelding Round The Point led from start to finish in the TABtouch Westspeed Platinum Handicap (1000m). Round The Point was headed in the final 100m by Dew West but, under urgent riding from McGruddy, lifted to get his head back in front and prevail by 0.3 lengths.