The MJ Odendaal-trained El Dante is geared down close to home by Keagan de Melo when making it two wins from five starts at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Wednesday (Candiese Lenferna).
Dual Grade 1-winning Australian-bred stallion Wylie Hall is residing at the Summerveld yard of former champion jockey and now trainer MJ Odendaal.
Perhaps his promising Odendaal-trained son El Dante can one day prompt somebody to bring the fertility-blighted son of Redoute’s Choice out of retirement.
Odendaal said, “Wyle Hall’s fertility dropped to very low levels and he now stays with me. He is out in the paddock all day and is enjoying himself.”
MJ is returning a favour because Wyle Hall, trained by Weiho Marwing, provided him with a Grade 1 win in the SA Derby.
MJ mentioned something about high temperatures effecting the sperm quality of Wylie Hall and added, “Personally, I think his fertility is back to normal, but I don’t have the means to stand him as a stallion. Perhaps one of his existing runners will become a top horse and then maybe somebody will become interested in putting him back to stud, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
On Wednesday, Odendaal sent out Wylie Hall’s son El Dante and the manner in which he won the 1600m handicap event suggests that he could possibly be the one to prompt his father’s return to stud duties.
The five-year-old gelding was having only his fifth career start and was backed into 33/20 favourite despite coming off two unplaced runs.
Those two unplaced runs were comeback efforts after being off for nearly a year-and-a-half for a wind operation.
In the parade ring it was easy to see why El Dante was fancied as he is a magnificent looking horse and on memory looks to be a replica of his father.
Keagan de Melo was aboard and took El Dante straight to the front.
At first sight it looked like the rest of the field were allowing the big horse an easy lead.
He duly pulled away in the straight to win by 6,40 lengths.
However, the time of the race told a different story.
Despite it being just a MR 75 Handicap the time was an excellent 94,38 seconds, which can be compared to 95.72 seconds in the following MR 77 Handicap and to 96,90 seconds in the preceding Maiden Plate.
MJ confirmed, “He has a very high cruising speed and is able to kick off that pace … to be able to do that is always the sign of a good horse.”
El Dante was admittedly only running off a 65 merit rating,
However, he looks the part and won easing up without being put under any pressure.
That time he recorded was also eyecatching.
The win was particularly rewarding for the Odendaal yard, because two new owners Desiree De Andrade and Scott Gaskell took a share before the race.
MJ continued, “I have always had a high regard for El Dante and that is why I was prepared to wait for so long. I have always thought that as long as I got him to the right place at the right time he would be very good.”
El Dante made his debut on June 21, 2021 over 1200m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly and finished second before winning over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville at odds of 20/3.
However, it then became apparent he needed a wind operation.
Because of the high regard he held him in MJ was prepared to wait for treatment with a special laser machine owned by the veterinarians Dr Andrew Gray of Drakenstein Veterinary Centre in Franschoek and Summerveld’s Dr Ralph Katzwinkel.
He was advised after the procedure to give El Dante a break.
His comeback was on 28 December 2022 over 1400m and he surely needed both that run and another one over the too sharp 1200m on January 15.
MJ said about the race on Wednesday, “Keagan said his breathing was crystal clear.”
So it is exciting times for Desiree de Andrade and Scott Gaskell and indeed for MJ, who also owns a share.
MJ has always believed El Dante to be a ten furlong horse and asked whether he believed he could become a feature horse, he replied, “It is still early days but I have always believed him to be well above average. We will see how he goes in his next couple of starts and perhaps we will then be able to plan a program to step him up in class.”
El Dante is definitely one to keep an eye on.
