First-season sire Palace Pier recorded his first Black Type winner in tremendous style on Wednesday, 13 August when promising colt Morris Dancer stormed to victory in the one-mile £22,000 Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury.
Racing in second under William Buick during the early stages, John and Thady Gosden’s charge took up the running a furlong out and cruised clear to cross the line four lengths ahead of fellow Palace Pier colt and previous dual winner A Bit Of Spirit.
Morris Dancer broke his maiden over seven furlongs at Haydock at the end of May and was beaten only a short head in the G2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood two weeks ago. He could now be targeted at the G2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster next month and also holds an entry in the G1 Darley Dewhurst.
A homebred for Godolphin, Morris Dancer is out of the winning Dubawi mare Menuetto, herself a daughter of Stakes winner Measured Tempo and from the family of G1 winner Anaaba Blue.
Palace Pier has made an excellent start to his stud career, with Morris Dancer one of four Black Type performers for him already. He is also sire of G2 Duchess Of Cambridge second Royal Fixation and Listed placegetter Sirius A, together with the unbeaten G1-entered filly Golden Palace.
