SYDNEY - New South Wales trainer Les Bridge said it almost broke his heart seeing Sydney's glamour mare Hot Danish racing below her best in Melbourne during the spring carnival, but the popular galloper was back with a bang at Rosehill on Saturday when winning the group two Canterbury Stakes.
The 6-year-old took her first-up tally to six wins from seven starts, beating Stradbroke winner Black Piranha ($3.80) by half a length with another Stradbroke winner Mr Baritone ($31) a half-neck further back in third.
Bridge had to give Hot Danish ($3 fav) a good break after the spring carnival which forced her to miss the fillies and mares' big group ones, but the trainer will keep her to sprints this campaign and give her the chance to win an elusive major in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick next month.
Jockey Tim Clark, who was reunited with Hot Danish in the 1300m weight-for-age event, elected to take a sit after beginning brilliantly and the mare showed a brilliant turn of foot in the straight to claim her 12th win from 22 career starts.
"That was a big thing to see her come back today," Bridge said.
"In Melbourne in the spring she wasn't right and it broke my heart. I knew she wasn't right then but I knew she was right today."
Bridge said it was "like fighting with an arm tied behind your back" with Hot Danish in Melbourne but the daughter of Nothin' Leica Dane still managed to finish second to the nation's best mare in Typhoon Tracy in the Tristarc Stakes.
"That's racing though, you don't always have a good carnival," Bridge said.
Clark was back on Hot Danish for the first time since her first-up win last preparation in the Research Stakes and said it was great to be reunited with his favourite horse.
"She's a lovely mare and I'm really happy to be associated with her again. It was great to see her come back and have that killer instinct."
Trainer Con Karakatsanis said Black Piranha was on target for the Group One Doncaster Mile but felt his condition just gave out in the final 100m as he tried to chase down the popular mare.
