Lynward Park shuttle sire Balmont was represented by his initial winner when Danube Dancer scored a narrow victory in the EBF Maiden Fillies Stakes (1100m) at Warwick on Tuesday.
Danube Dancer (2f Balmont – Green Danube by Irish River) edged clear in the final stages to defeat Soviet Song’s close relative Marlinka (Marju) by a head.
The winner went through the sale-ring twice before arriving at Stan Moore’s stables. She was an 8,000 euros buy as a yearling last September and her value increased to 20,000 pounds when she reappeared at a Goffs 2YO Sale in March.
Danube Dancer is a half-sister to seven winners including Bank On Benny (Benny The Dip) who won up to 3400m at Wolverhampton.. Their dam Green Danube is a sister to French Listed winner Firm Friend.
Trained by Jeremy Nosada, Balmont was a top-class juvenile winning the 2003 G1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket and G2 Gimcrack Stakes at York. As an older horse, he was G1 placed in the 2004 G1 July Cup and 2005 G1 Golden Jubilee Stakes.
Balmont is an older half-brother to Eskendereya (Giant’s Causeway) who earlier this year won the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes by 8 lengths and the G1 Wood Memorial by 9 lengths. He was pre-post favourite for the Kentucky Derby but was sidelined after sustaining soft-tissue damage to his near foreleg. It was subsequently diagnosed as a career-ending injury.
Balmont (Stravinsky) will shuttle to Lynward Park in Western Australia from Tara Stud in 2010. His southern base for 2008 and 2009 had been Alwyn Park where he covered a total of 140 mares. His 2010 WA fee has been set at $7,150.