Gypsy Ibrox's near track record performance at her first race start has left trainer Billy Dance facing a pleasant dilemma of "where do I take her next?"
From the first litter whelped by Billy and Cathy Dance's brilliant bitch Ibrox Wildfire, Gypsy Ibrox bolted away with a 515m maiden race at The Gardens last Friday in 29.21, just outside the track record of 28.96 and among the fastest times ever posted in that class of event.
As he contemplated looking for 0-1 win race for Gypsy Ibrox, Dance said: "My head is still spinning over that time.
"She trialled 29.58 a week before the race and while I thought she could improve a little I didn't think she could go that much better.
"Gypsy Ibrox fractured a shoulder blade when she was six months old so it's pretty remarkable that she is even racing.
"Her litter brother Jock From Ibrox will start racing soon but he is a big 38kg dog who is about one-and-a-half to two lengths slower than his sister.
"I am looking for a restricted win race for Gypsy Ibrox now and then I will get her to Wentworth Park.
"She has had four trials there but has not done anything spectacular, just breaking the 30s mark.''
Dance, 69, got his trainer's licence in 1986 and enjoyed his biggest success in 1997 when his stayer Ibrox Park won the National Distance Championship final at Adelaide's Angle Park.
He has almost always used the "Ibrox" prefix or suffix after attending Leichhardt's famous Ibrox Park High School so naturally is a keen Wests Tigers rugby league follower.
"And my favourite soccer team is Glasgow Rangers, because their home ground is Ibrox Stadium, and I reckon Jock From Ibrox will have some followers from over there when he starts racing,” Dance said.
"He and Gypsy Ibrox are by Equalizer from my bitch Ibrox Wildfire, who won 14 races and earned $107,000.
"When she came in season Ibrox Wildfire was set to be mated with Shima Shine, but she is a bad traveler whose mouth froths when she is in the car for long periods.
"Mating with Shima Shine had to be by insemination but my veterinary advice was that Ibrox Wildfidre had a better chance of getting in pup if she was served naturally, and that's why we went to Equalizer.”
Billy and Cathy Dance reared the Ibrox Wildfire litter on their small Central Coast property and sold just one of the pups, who races as Status Jewel, at the Richmond Puppy Auction.
Fellow trainer Brian Barrington bought Status Jewel for $11,000 and she won at her first Wentworth Park appearance last Thursday night, clocking a flying first split of 5.40 and a fast 29.55 for the 520m, maintaining her unbeaten tally after four races.
Billy and Cathy Dance look set to breed more winners as Mayfair Reign, a talented litter sister to Ibrox Wildfire who won 18 races, is due to be mated.
"After the way Status Jewel and Gypsy Ibrox have started their careers, I guess we would be mad not to take Mayfair Reign to Equalizer,” Billy Dance summed up.
