The tricky Happy Valley circuit is often the undoing of an unraced or lightly raced youngster which is why the run of the Peter Ho-trained newcomer Dancing Sound was so good in last night's opener. The son of Dance Floor is a half-brother to Ho's recently retired former top notcher Rugby Supreme, who stayed all day. The way Dancing Sound had worked prior to last night suggested he's a talented galloping type and that impression was only underlined by last night's strong late run into third.
Dancing Sound was predictably slowly into stride and outpaced for much of the way. But even down the back and up and over the Rock, it was evident that he has a natural engine. Jockey Robbie Fradd was doing his best to get him into the race without getting him unbalanced and losing the plot. The champion had accomplished this by the time they straightened for the run to the judge and from there Dancing Sound knuckled down encouragingly to the job in hand and was making ground markedly all the way to the line.
He can be followed as the experience is likely to do him the world of good. A switch to Sha Tin, which favours these galloping types, should help as should a step up in distance. Even at this embryonic stage he should have no trouble handling a mile