By Peter Wharton
Tintin In America, a Group winner as a two, three and four-year-old in New Zealand, was represented by his first Group winner from his initial crop when Zee Dana captured the Group 3 $30,600 Garrards Horse and Hound Ready To Run Graduate Stakes at Tabcorp Park Menangle on Saturday night (August 15).
A dominant favourite, the NZ bred youngster began like a rocket from the No 6 gate to assume role from the outset.
After a leisurely middle half, Zee Dana peeled off fractions of 27.6 and 27.6 to easily keep his rivals at bay.
The mile rate for the 2300 metres was 1:59.3.
The win extended the gelding’s record to five starts for four wins and a second for $38,293 in stakes. He holds a mark of 1:57.3.
Zee Dana was the fastest triallist at the Ready To Run Trialling Sale last December and changed hands for a super $71,000.
Bred by David Kennedy, Zee Dana is out of the winning Dream Away mare Zwish (2:02.4), who left earlier winners in Phil Monty (1:54.6), a winner of nine races in Victoria, and Dana Dawn 2:01.1.
He is a member of the noted Black Watch family whose descendants include Arden Rooney, Katy Perry, Reba Lord, Sovereign Hill, Laurella, Alta Christiano and The Unicorn.
Tintin America has already sired five individual two-year-old winners from his first small crop including the South Australian Kindergarten Stakes winner Just Wantano (2:00.7) and the Group placegetters Dame Puissant (1:59.6) and Aussie Vista (2:01.1).
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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