Hot Danish made the perfect return with a fighting victory in the Group Two Breeders Classic at Randwick on Saturday after which trainer Les Bridge admitted he almost scratched the mare from the race because of the wet track.Reunited with her old mate Tim Clark, the $1.90 favourite battled through the slow surface and showed great determination after racing wide throughout to run down the gutsy Barbara Joseph-trained leader Belong To Many ($13) in the 1200-metre race.Bridge said even though Hot
Hot Danish made the perfect return with a fighting victory in the Group Two Breeders Classic at Randwick on Saturday after which trainer Les Bridge admitted he almost scratched the mare from the race because of the wet track.
Reunited with her old mate Tim Clark, the $1.90 favourite battled through the slow surface and showed great determination after racing wide throughout to run down the gutsy Barbara Joseph-trained leader Belong To Many ($13) in the 1200-metre race.
Bridge said even though Hot Danish had won in the wet previously he wasn't keen on starting the five-year-old who is being aimed at the Group One Coolmore Classic at Rosehill on March 21.
"I've got to thank (chief steward) Ray Murrihy, when I told him I was thinking about scratching her he said we could do it if the track deteriorated that much throughout the day, and without him saying that we might have scratched her this morning," he said.
"That was just a top effort today, she's a great mare.
"Wait until she gets on a good track, her class pulled her through that."
Bridge said Hot Danish would have one more start before the Coolmore but hadn't decided where yet.
"We'll see how she pulls up after this and work it out from there," he said.
The Randwick trainer was happy to see Clark winning again on Hot Danish after he missed her Group Two Salinger Stakes win at Flemington in November through injury and she was ridden by Dan Nikolic.
Clark damaged a shoulder in a fall at Warwick Farm in August which kept him sidelined for four months.
"I've got a lot of time for Timmy Clark and I know how much this mare means to him, that was great today," Bridge said.
Clark returned to the jockeys' room with a look that said the job wasn't done yet with Hot Danish who is yet to taste Group One success.
He was straight to the point when briefly speaking to the media.
"Top return, she was very impressive but there's more to do now," Clark said.
"I was a little bit worried for a couple of strides there because it was a bit slippery but in the end it was a top effort."
The Salinger was only the third time in her 11 previous starts Hot Danish was not ridden by Clark who now boasts seven wins from 10 rides on the mare.