The Dancing Kinzetts

Canterbury couple Dayle and Kay Kinzett were on course at Addington on Friday night to see Cheer Up N Dance (Always B Miki), the latest from their ‘Dance’ breed, win on debut.

The win further highlights a decision the couple made thirteen years ago to go to the yearling sales and buy the well-bred filly Dance N Delight (Bettor’s Delight).

Dayle was introduced to harness racing through his father Ken who was the blacksmith at Addington Raceway in the early 1960s before he headed south to shoe at Oamaru Raceway.

“We used the go to a lot of races when I was a young fella because Dad was blacksmith at a lot of those meetings,” Dayle said.

While in Oamaru his father was also a hobby trainer. He trained five winners, the first was Demetrius at Ascot Park in April 1986.

His other winners were Fletcher (2), Armbro Dale and Ceille.

Fletcher was bred to pace, being by Genghis Khan out of Sibling. Sibling was by Majestic Chance out of Haakondahl the dam of Auckland Cup winner Sapling. After qualifying as a pacer twelve months later, Fletcher qualified as a trotter.

It was while the Kinzetts were living in Oamaru that Dayle got to know Phil Williamson and his family.

“When Phil was working for Dick Prendergast, he lived with us. So we’re close family friends.”

After completing high school Dayle when to Otago University to study accountancy.

“I lived in Dunedin with Ray Wilkie who used to train at Forbury Park. During my Varsity years I lived directly opposite the track. That’s how I got to know Father Dan (Dan Cummings) because he spent a bit of time at Wilks. Our mare (Dance N Delight) goes back to his breed with Tuapeka Dancer and Maureens Dream.”

As a young man, Kinzett dabbled in ownership with moderate success.

Lousonup (Son Of Afella) was his first winner at Forbury Park in June 2002. Trained by Warren Stapleton, the gelding was raced by the Snafu Syndicate of which Dayle was a member.

“He only won one race but we had a bit of fun with him after we were just out of university.”

Dayle then moved to the UK to work as an accountant.

“When I came back, (2003) I did own a few others with the same group of guys.”

His other winners for the group were Jacob Oram (1) trained by Phil Williamson and Lewis H (3) trained by Nathan Williamson.

“When Kay and I moved down to Lincoln we wanted to buy a filly and breed from her.”

That filly was to be Dance N Delight, purchased for $22,000 early on Day One at the 2013 Sale of the Stars in Christchurch.

“I sent her to Phil and she was coming along nicely and was about to qualify. He rang me one night and I thought he was ringing me to tell me he was off to the qualifying trials. But he rang me to tell me she’d shattered a pastern in three places. We got screws put in her leg and we kept her as a broodmare.”

At stud, Dance N Delight was an instant success, leaving Shut Up N Dance (Art Major) who won her first start for Regan Todd by ten and a half lengths, running the 1980 metres in 2-22.3 (mile rate of 1-55.6) and covering her last 800 metres in 54.7 with the hood still on.

She went on to win two of her only other starts.

“She was a little bit special but unfortunately she had tendon issues. She was with Nathan for her early education. She was due to qualify but had a bit of heat in her leg. We got her scanned and found out she had tendon problems. She had the stem cell treatment, a slow prep and build up. We thought the best place for her to get a chance was to send her to Regan (Todd) at the beach. We managed to get three starts out of her before she bowed both tendons.”

Shut Up N Dance is named after the 2014 hit by Walk the Moon – Get Up and Dance.

“We wanted to have a brand to recognise. The mother was Dance N Delight and we quite liked the N Dance piece. We were working out names and funnily enough that song was on the radio. My son Liam said ‘why don’t you call her Shut Up N Dance which we thought rolled off the tongue quite nicely.”

Dance N Delight’s next foal Get Up N Dance (Rock N Roll Heaven) won seven; four for Nathan Williamson and three for Bob Butt while Rise Up N Dance a full brother to Shut Up N Dance, has won three for Williamson.

Her next foal, Cheer Up N Dance is the latest of her progeny to win. After a long preparation, a trip to Canterbury and a taxing race, she’s currently on a break at Kinzett’s property at Lincoln.

“She’s having two or three weeks off then she’ll head back to Nath. She’s definitely got ability but she’s a big green girl and just needs a bit of time. I think one day she’ll be a nice staying mare.”

The Kinzetts also have a yearling filly by Stay Hungry whom Colin and Julie DeFilippi have done some work with and a weanling full brother to Cheer Up N Dance which is still on farm.

Meanwhile Shut Up N Dance has begun her career at stud and has left a three year old filly, Hush Up N Dance (American Ideal).

“She’s down with Nathan and has done a couple of preps. She’s quite a big girl and needs a bit of time, so he’s just put her out for a spell. I’d imagine next time in she’d qualify and hopefully get the colours on.”

Dance N Delight’s next foal is a two year old colt named Lather Up N Dance (Lather Up).

“He’s doing a bit of pre-training before he goes to Bob Butts. Bob helped us with Get Up N Dance.”

And her latest foal is a yearling colt, Rock Up N Dance (Always B Miki).

“He’s been with Regan, has been broken in and he’s just back at our place spelling.”

Shut Up N Dance was served in the spring by Cattlewash.

The Kinzetts, who run their accounting business in Christchurch and Auckland have a ten acre property at Lincoln.

“The ten acres we bought are directly opposite Colin and Julie DeFilippi’s.”

The couple have two children, Liam and Millie.

“They enjoy the horses and help out around home. Millie has Get Up N Dance as her hack which she rides around home and the roads and over at Colin and Julies arena.”

As for the future?

“I think we’ll take a few to the sales one day and sell some of the colts. At the moment we’d probably hold onto our fillies.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink