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Dancing Mystery - Star of the sand.
...............................................................................................................................
Dancing Mystery is an eleven year old at the time of writing, out of
Beveled who by name dances on the All-Weather but is a mystery on the
turf!
Dancing Mystery and Steve Carson are a very special team and very unique
as far as horse-jockey relationships go, longevity and understanding
being the ingredients of this successful partnership. His sire
Beveled, was an American bred and raced son of Sharpen Up (GB) and his
Dam was Sans Arc, bred by Miss Barbara Hunter (KY).
Beveled won 5 races from 26 starts, placing 8 times, and showing five
times. His best win was $20,000 on 5th April 1986 at Hialeah - in
a time of 1:09.2 for 6 furlongs.
While Dancing Mystery has not hung up his sand shoes yet, he must go
down as one of the toughest sand sprinters in the land. He is
truly a vintage wine of the highest quality. At the time of writing he
has raced a total of 124 turf races with 14 wins, 12 seconds, and 11
thirds with earnings of £166,943. Meanwhile on the All-Weather he
has had 23 starts with 7 wins, 2 seconds, and 6 third placings for
earnings of £75,571.
On the 20th of October 1997 at Southwell race track, Dancing Mystery won
his second start on the All-Weather carrying 8st 11lbs in a Class 6 3y
6furlong Maiden in a time of 1min 16.3sec with Mozambique 2L behind.
Jockey Alan Daly guided Dancing Mystery home that day.
Then on the 18th November 1997 at Lingfield in a 5f class 5 event he
carried 9st 2lbs to beat Opening Range who carried 7st 12lbs in a time
of 59.63sec. On 11th June 1999 back at Southwell in a 5f class 5
2k handicap carrying 9st 8lbs he beat Polar Mist who carried 8st 12lbs
by 1 1/4L in a time of 59.1sec.
On the 22nd January 2004 at Southwell race track in a class 3 8k
handicap carrying 10 stone he was 1st of 16 in a time of 58.95sec(69)
with Justalord 2nd carrying 9st 6lbs. On the 7th December 2004 at
Southwell race track in a class 3 5 furlong handicap for 13k he won in a
time of 58.67sec(62) carrying 8st 12lbs
with Magic Glade 21/2L back carrying 8st 1lb.
Dancing Mystery's trainer Eric Wheeler had at this point wished to take
his vintage speedster to Nad al Sheba but was told the horse was too
old. On the 1st January 2005 at Southwell racetrack in a class 3
handicap for 13k he now carried 9st 7lbs and beat his young challenger
Treasure Cay who carried 8st 7lbs by a short head in a duplicate time
from the previous race 58.67sec(64) that
more or less sealed it the old boy was on his way to Dubai.
At Nad al Sheba on 3rd February 2005 in the Saratoga stakes handicap on
dirt for 4yo+ 85-100 Dancing Mystery with Steve Carson up went off the
5-1F carrying 9st 6lbs as joint top weight the 5F event won by Sushi
Bar (Brz) in a time of 58.37 with San Salvador (USA) 2nd and Persuasivo
fitz (Arg) 3rd Dancing Mystery placed 6th but beat 10 others including
Quiettimes and Forever Phoenix, Dancing Mystery was not even the best
older horse on show as the 3rd place horse was also 11yo.
At Nad al Sheba on 25th February 2005 in the Alhaarth handicap for 4yo+
90-105 Dancing Mystery showed his mettle placed 3rd 21/2 L behind
National Icon and 1 1/4 L behind 2nd place Malapropism the winner
carried 8st 10lbs the second place 8st 6lbs as against Dancing Mystery's
9st 1lbs he went off at odds of 13/2 while the 7/2 San salvador
carrying 9st 2lbs finished 2L behind Dancing Mystery, 5/1 second
favourite Lydgate placed 8th carrying 9st the winners time was 58.73sec.
On the 19th March 2005 back at Lingfield in the Bet Direct on Sky Active
sprint condition stakes B2 5f event Dancing Mystery landed the best win
of his life in the field was Fast Heart, Zarzu, Smoking Beau, Treasure
cay, Dragon Flyer, If Paradise, Magic Glade, Hidden Dragon, and Socks
For Glenn in the order of finish in the time of 58.98sec(65).
Dancing Mystery looked to be in command but was joined in the closing
stages by Fast Heart, Fast Heart took it up by the slightest of margins
as Dancing Mystery seemed to hang momentarily but with 50 Yrds to go the
battle was on and the old boy battled back to take it on the line along
with the winners cheque of £17,400 pounds.
On his Dubai raid I could not help but think if those races had been
held at Southwell racetrack he could well have had won both - as I
recall the race at Southwell on 7th December 2004 I placed my money over
the counter at my local bookies the old boy had drifted from 7/1 to 9/1
and I was asked "are you sure" I can honestly say I had never been more
sure in my life. Looking back on my last 12 months of betting I had Grey
Swallow12/1, Silver Birch 12/1, Hedgehunter 33/1, Joes Edge at 16/1 but
they never gave me the same excitement as that old boy charging down the
sand track.
Submitted by
Gary Pollard.
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