Argentine Tango waltzes to Newmarket success

There was a win for Yorkshire in Newmarket’s Empress Fillies’ Stakes, as Tim Easterby’s Argentine Tango danced her rivals into submission.

Yet to finish outside the first two in her career to date, she headed south with some fine form to her name, including finishing second to Albany Stakes winner Venetian Sun on her penultimate start before winning Beverley’s Hilary Needler Trophy later the same week.

Sent off at 9-1 in the hands of David Allen, she put her experience to great use to battle her way to a narrow head victory over Ed Walker’s Midnight Tango, with Richard Hughes’ 6-4 favourite Bella Lyra a neck further back in third.

Easterby said: “She’s just super tough and super game and just like her sire Mattmu, she’s hard as nails.

“She’ll go on any ground, soft or firm it wouldn’t matter and she got the six furlongs well.

“If you look her form up she tried to give the Albany winner 6lb at Carlisle which was a hell of a run. She ran at Carlisle on the Monday and went to Beverley and won on Saturday, that’s the type of horse she is.

“You can’t believe how tough and hard she is and Mattmu was just the same, she has a massive heart and you can’t give her a day off as she’ll just buck them off, racing is like nothing for her.”

With Listed success secured and having proven her liking for six furlongs on her first try at the distance, Easterby will now consult with the owners to plot a route forward with their hardy youngster, who now has three wins from five starts.

“We were just going down there today as we had no other options really,” continued Easterby.

“We had planned to skip Ascot and other than going to another fillies race where she could pick up a bonus but have a massive penalty, this was the obvious race and it was a very competitive field.

“We’re open to ideas and will just decide as we go along, but you can’t give her days off as she’s so tough and hardy.

“We’ll figure out a route and she’s won a Listed race now which is great for a filly like her and great for the sire. She’s bred by a top stud in Bearstone and they always come out of there tough, so we’ll just keep going and see what there is and where we end up.”