Fire Dancer (JPN)

First foal; dam Japanese 5f-6f dirt winner, out of 7f/1m2f winning half-sister to outstanding 2yo Arazi and 1m Group 1 winner Noverre; promising debut at Nakayama in October 2020, finishing clear second in 6f newcomer race; built on that by easily winning Nakayama maiden (6f) on next start in December; no wins but a few encouraging runs in 2021 and early 2022, with figures of 00542042333 and rarely beaten far; rewarded for that consistency by winning her second race, this time a 6f allowance race at Kokura in February 2022; returned three months later with close fourth in better race at Chukyo over 6f; built on that next time by narrowly winning a 6f allowance race at Fukushima; decent fourth of eighteen in slightly better race at Niigata (5f) in August; fourth again over 6f at same track in October before finishing sixth at Nakayama in December; not beaten too far when tenth of eighteen at Kokura (6f) in January; close fifth after that at Hanshin (6f) in March; close fifth again, this time at Niigata (5f; nearest finish) in May; ran on well again when second over same C&D next time but ran well below expectations in a Grade 3 after that following a 70-day break, again over 5f at Niigata; back to form over same C&D three months later, finishing close second of eighteen in a Listed race before winning a big-field event at Fukushima but held on first two starts of 2024.