War Chant (USA) mare Dance Music is poised to join her sire’s millionaires' club after winning a battle of attrition in the G3 Northerly Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday.

Dance Music and Massimo (Sessions) staged a two-horse war in a fitting renewal of the event that honours WA’s ‘Fighting Tiger’.  “I loved Northerly and it’s a race I really wanted to win,” trainer Simon Miller said.  “This mare is a ripper.  As she’s got older she wants it further and that makes it a lot easier.”

The Northerly speed-map predicted Dance Music would lead first-up after a spell but winning jockey Brad Parnham was happy to take sit behind Massimo.  “We got a good cart into the race,” Parnham told the West Australian Newspaper.  “I thought she could have put him away easier but, in the end, it was still a good effort.”

Yarradale Stud champion War Chant (Danzig) has sired 44 individual stakes winners of 88 stakes races worldwide.  Dance Music’s Northerly score was her fifth following the 2018 Placid Ark Stakes, 2020 Northam Cup & Starstruck Classic and 2021 La Trice Classic.

Dance Music (6m War Chant - Fast Flowing by Dubawi) is raced by owner-breeder Neven Botica in partnership with Hollymount Stud’s Matthew Sandblom.  Her overall record now stands at 12 wins and 11 placings in 28 starts for prizemoney of $981,695 including Westspeed bonuses of $162,000.

That puts her in third place among War Chant’s Australian progeny behind Silent Sedition ($1.17 million) and Dainty Tess ($1.09 million).

War Chant’s Kentucky-bred warhorse Chamberlain Bridge tops his global count with earnings of US$1.95 million after 19 wins in 53 starts topped by a Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs.

Dance Music’s connections have kept their summer carnival options open with Group 1 nominations for all three $1 million features at Ascot.  The Railway Stakes (1600m) would appear the most likely route and she is currently quoted at $26 by Ladbrokes.

Yarradale Stud owner Ron Sayers, who had share in Northerly, stands War Chant for an $11,000 service fee alongside Gingerbread Man ($5,500) and Bradbury’s Luck ($3,300).  All fees (inc GST).

Dance Music wins the G3 Northerly Stakes