Cliff Brown takes up Lightning Stakes challenge

Mornington-based trainer Cliff Brown has decided to take the punt and send La Danseuse Rouge to Adelaide for the final Stakes race of the season.

The Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville on Saturday is run at set-weights and is restricted to the two and three-year-olds only.

While La Danseuse Rouge has ‘Black Type’ on her page as a dual placegetter at Group 3 level, a win on Saturday will add further to her potential broodmare status.

Brown has set La Danseuse Rouge for Saturday’s race but is concerned with barrier 13 in a field that has been reduced from 18 to 16 with the scratchings of Victorian visitors River Noire and Spicy Margs.

“The barrier is a concern,” Brown said.

“It’s one turn and you could quite easily be four or five wide with no cover and have a gut buster.”

La Danseuse Rouge is commencing her fourth preparation and has shown promise at each campaign.

The filly started her second campaign with a win over 1000m at Sandown before graduating to ‘Black Type’ company with a third at Caulfield and then a second at Flemington in her two subsequent starts.

“If she won the (Group 3) Red Roses at Flemington, she got beaten a nostril, life would have been great,” Brown said.

“Last campaign, her first two runs were good and the last run at Flemington, a horse played up next to her in the gates and was a late scratching.

“She wound herself up and was fried by the time the race was run.”

Brown said La Danseuse Rouge seems to be going well although her most recent jump-out at Mornington was, according to the trainer, a little plain.

But Brown said the filly did put in a nice gallop at Mornington on Tuesday.

“She’s been set for the race,” Brown said.

“It’s a sharp trip, and she’s OK at that early in preparation and I’ve taken the blinkers off,” Brown said.

“Her trial the other day was only average, but it was on the inside track at Mornington and it was very slippery and wet and she didn’t really let down.

“I gave her a gallop on Tuesday, and that was really good, so we’re happy to have a go.”