Filly dances into winners’ circle

First Dance capped off the excellent start she has made to her career with a dashing victory at Ellerslie.Our progressive daughter of Zousain had finished a debut fifth at Ruakaka before running second on the all-weather track at Cambridge and went one better in fine style over 1200 metres.Trained at Karaka by Lance Noble, the three-year-old settled midfield on the outer for rider Warren Kennedy before picking up ground across the top.First Dance lengthened stride impressively when asked for a serious effort to trounce her older rivals by 1.3l.She was bred by Whakanui Stud and we went to $280,000 to secure her out of Haunui Farm’s draft at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.Her dam is the Snitzel mare Shadow Dancer who is from the family of the three-time Group 1 winner Sea Siren, whose daughter Warm Heart also claimed a hat-trick of elite titles, and the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Ruthless Dame.