Tough stable campaigner Danleigh has shown he has no ill effects from a minor throat operation when he stormed down the middle of the track to take out the Group 2 $175,000 Tattersalls Club Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm today.

Danleigh

Veteran galloper Danleigh showed no signs of his age or ill effects from throat surgery to win the Chelmsford Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Danleigh showed no signs of his age and the nine year old easily held off favourite Secret Admirerwho wasn’t disgraced chasing hard down the Warwick Farm straight.

Leading trainer Chris Waller lost track of Danleigh’s history because of his longevity but will push on further into the Spring and run in the Group 1 $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in two weeks.

“He acts like a four or five year old so just forget his age, he’s still got plenty of racing in him,” Waller said.

“The first time he galloped after the operation we knew he’s improved, that was very encouraging stuff.  The George Main in two weeks, that the perfect race for him.”

“Now that he’s a little older the George Main will be a perfect race for him.”

Leading jockey Hugh Bowman had Danleigh positioned just behind the leaders and eased him to the outside on the home turn and the old stager went to the line full of running.

“He’s a horse that you can’t ride him out of his comfort zone, he won’t finish and today he was able to be there without having him out of his comfort zone,” Bowman said.

“I took a lot of confidence from his run two weeks ago. He had a little operations and the horse would have taken a lot of confidence out of the race the other day too. I did, I know he would have.”

“He was the best horse in the race and all he had to do was recapture some of his Group 1 form and he was able to do that.”

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.