Foxwedge is riding the crest of a wave at the moment and he struck with another stakes winner in England overnight.
The John Gosden-trained three year-old filly Hertford Dancer had just a win at Wolverhampton on the all-weather track in December to show from her previous five starts but hit a new high in the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial.
The race turned into a two-horse battle down the straight with Frankie Dettori on Hertford Dancer gradually getting the better of Ryan Moore on Pocketfullofdreams.
Gosden said the daughter of Foxwedge is unlikely to be supplemented to the Epsom Oaks on June 2.
“She is a tough little filly and I always knew the trip would suit her, so we are delighted,”Gosden told Sporting Life.
“We did think we’d be doing terribly well to finish second or third. We didn’t expect to win – I’ll give you that.
“She has the heart the size of a lion. I love it when they are genuine fillies like this. She always gives her best. She ran on well at Nottingham the other day but just ran out of real estate and that was a mile and a quarter, this was a mile and a half – this is what she wants.
“She is honest. I know the family well. I bought the mare for Mr (George) Strawbridge. He had three decent ones who all got to a level. This one, with the step up in trip, has just gone to another level.”
Harry Herbert, representing Highclere, who bred the filly, said Royal Ascot was the plan, with the Group II Ribblesdale Stakes the most likely target.
“We were hopeful because she tries so hard and stays so well and nick some black type,” Herbert said
“She travelled almost like the best of the lot and when Frankie switched her it was fantastic to see her run on so strongly. When you have an animal who only just wants to win, it makes a hell of a difference.
“We won’t supplement her. We’ll let the dust settle. Maybe a race like the Ribblesdale will be right for her at Royal Ascot.”
Hertford Dancer is the best of four winners out of the Selkirk mare Tebee who is a half-sister to Nayarra, the Champion 2YO Filly in Italy in 2011 as well as Group III winner Wonderfully and Listed winner Cuff.
Tebee’s dam Massarra is a stakes-winning sister to sire sensation Kodiac and a half-sister to the hugely influential Invincible Spirit.
Hertford Dancer becomes the fifth stakes winner for Fastnet Rock’s Group I winning son Foxwedge, whose book is all but full at a service fee of $22,000.
He also featured in Adelaide on Saturday where his unbeaten son Mulder posted his fourth consecutive win at Morphettville.
Trained by Michael Hickmott, Mulder has now won over $100,000 in prizemoney and showed his class with this win over Group II winning filly Samara Dancer.