Danube River doesn’t look like reaching her high-water mark anytime soon given the ease of her victory in the Dr Emma Vidler Hcp (1190m) on Thursday.

Starting an odds-on favourite at Narrogin, the Thorn Dancer (NZ) filly unleashed a winning sprint when let loose by Luke Campbell against a moderate midweek field on a Soft 5 surface.  She has now won three of her four starts this prep and the only loss was at Albany last month after a slow getaway.

Danube River is trained by Bruce Watkins at Capel for a partnership that includes his wife Liz, her breeders Lou & Yvette O’Hara and Shelley Clements.  They’re also in the syndicate that has raced stablemate Acting God (Playing God) to five wins so far from Albany to Belmont.

Her NZ-bred sire Thorn Dancer (Thorn Park) was trained by Frank Maynard to win at Pinjarra, Belmont and Ascot and he was also runner-up, beaten a head by Clueless Angel, in the 2009 edition of the G2 WA Guineas.

Originally based at Sovereign Stud in Busselton, he later relocated to Tracey Bannister’s Boallia Park in Vasse where he stands alongside Our Boy Leo (Lonhro).  It was also home to Rogano (Not A Single Doubt) until he was pensioned last year.

Thorn Dancer has been used sparingly with just nine foals on the ground earlier this season.  He owns an 87% winning strike-rate and Danube River can keep progressing to join his recent Ascot winners Stylax and Ambergate Rose.

Her dam Monte Ivy (Noverre) has an unraced 2yo by Thorn Dancer named King Of Muster and she was covered by Maschino in November.  Second-dam Sunny Lane (Never Quit) was a Listed winner of a Tasmanian Oaks, MVRC JRA Cup and Werribee Cup.