No Dodging Destiny

Destiny was served when Dodging Bullets landed the $100,000 Swettenham Stud Championship Final (1700m) at Caulfield on Thursday.

The Symon Wilde trained gelding is a son of former Swettenham sire Dash For Cash and was conceived, foaled and raised at the Nagambie nursery. He was also part of the Swettenham consignment to the 2013 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale making $42,000.

“We always liked him although he didn’t show much before racing,” Wilde recalled as Craig Williams brought the winner back to scale. “He’s only lightly-raced and I would love to keep him going through to the Warrnambool Cup.”

Raced by a partnership comprising Bill Whitehead, John Emerson, James Irvine, William Blackwell and John Matie, he has now earned $234,400 which includes VOBIS bonuses of $63,400. “Running him every three or four weeks may be the way to keep going until May. He’s versatile and handles soft ground if it’s wet.”

Dodging Bullets led home a Swettenham reunion on Australia Day with a narrow victory over fellow Warrnambool visitor Our Bottino. The runner-up is by former Swettenham sire Bianconi who died in February 2016.

Dash For Cash sired the winner from Young Love (Danzero). She is a sister to Happy Zero (G1 HK Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup) and won races around the provincial circuit for Robert Hance and trainer Rick Hore-Lacy.

Hore-Lacy also prepared Dash For Cash to Group 1 victories in the Australian Guineas and Futurity Stakes before he retired to stand at Swettenham Stud.

Hance and his wife Gwenda operate under the North Road Bloodstock banner and they’ve bred several feature winners by Dash For Cash including Chase The Rainbow (G2 MVRC Bill Stutt Stakes), Dandy Dollar (Listed VRC Poseidon Stakes) and Pittenweem (TTC Sires’ Produce Stakes).

Swettenham’s consignment for the 2017 Melbourne Premier consists of 38 yearlings with. Leading sires like I Am Invincible are represented – his grey filly from Flemington stakes winner Members Joy is a standout.

There are a dozen second-crop yearlings by Swettenham sire Americain (USA) including Lot 13, the half-brother to last year’s G2 Reisling Stakes winner French Fern.