By Jordan Gerrans
Bill Kenning has not seen any signs of fatigue with boom North Queensland two-year-old Roweiner's Dance ahead of the rich 2YO Classic for 2023 at Cluden Park on Saturday.
The track record holder over 1000 metres at the Townsville circuit will be searching for his seventh career victory in the feature $100,000 event for babies.
The son of Sidestep has been the stand out performer in juvenile races over the last year in NQ – winning on six occasions from nine starts – as well as two other second-place finishes.
The Kenning-prepared youngster has been to the races nine times since early November of last year, which is a busy program for a galloper in their first full campaign of racing.
Kenning – a former jockey – says Roweiner's Dance will head for a spell following Saturday’s long-planned ‘grand final’ but believes he is not showing any signs that he is desperate to get to the paddock.
“The horse is good, I cannot fault him,” Kenning said.
“He has been in for a long time and he is not showing any signs of wanting a spell, but you would be thinking he would seeing as he has been up for a long time.
“He has had a lot of runs. I have had horses for a long time and you would think after Saturday he will want a blow, that will be him.
“He is not showing any signs of fatigue, he is pretty spot on for Saturday.”
Roweiner's Dance did have a short break in the early stages of 2023.
He won two days on from Christmas Day last year and did not return until the latter stages of February.
“He had a little bit of a break, not for long but he did have a break,” the former jockey said of his impressive two-year-old.
“I am fortunate here at the stables that I have little paddocks so even when he is in full work, he goes out in the paddock.
“He is almost having a spell all the time and enjoying life.
“He goes to beach every second day and he is happy doing that walking in the water.”
The bay gelding announced himself as a serious star in early May of this year when he broke a 24-year-old track record at Cluden Park for the 1000 metre trip, bolting in by almost eight lengths.
He smashed the clock in 55.17 seconds on that afternoon.
Roweiner's Dance tasted defeat for the first time since early March at his last start when he carried a big weight as the short-priced favourite at Townsville.
He returns to set weights on Saturday for the 1200 metre contest, dropping down four kilograms from his second-place finish to Bush Diamond in the middle of May.
Leading North Queensland hoop Lacey Morrison has been booked for Saturday’s outing, getting back on Roweiner's Dance for the first time since the middle of April.