Dahlhaus Kicks Staying Goal

FEW stayers have made such an impressive long-distance debut as Dahlhaus did at Launceston on Monday night.

The locally trained Dahlhaus led all-the-way to take out the time-honoured R L Foley Perpetual Stakes over the gruelling 720 metres.

 The former Victorian chaser has flourished since being transferred to the Apple Isle.

Trained at Brighton by Blake Pursell, Dahlhaus jumped in front from box four and did not look in danger of defeat at any stage of the staying trip.

Dahlhaus won by 3 ½ lengths from the strong finishing Alarming Betty, stopping the clock in 43.03.

It was his 15^th career victory from 48 race starts for owner/breeder Michael Fox.

"I was very happy with his first 700 effort," Blake Pursell reported during the week.

"I thought 600m might be his limit but he'd had the best possible lead-up I could give him going into Monday.

"He was entitled to get tired, but he showed plenty late after finding the front soon after the start and was left untouched throughout."

Blake also commented that the son of Trewly Special and Silvia's Flame sustained a crack to his outside back leg in a 425m race at Bendigo in July last year, relegating the brindle chaser to the sidelines for six months.

"It was a big crack around the hock and Michael (owner) was really supportive and just allowed us to let him recover and come along at his own pace, it just took time," he said.

Pursell says he will continue on the staying path with Dahlhaus, the Winters Stakes (July 1) next on the agenda.

"The dog will just have a light couple of weeks now. He will head towards the Winter Stakes over 720m and then progress towards the Nationals in August.

"Tassie doesn't have many staying races on and when they come around they're only on for a couple of months so we will see how Dahlhaus goes. I'm yet to decide but I'm tempted to take the dog back to Melbourne for a 600m at some stage."