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By Ray Hickson

Former rugby league player turned racehorse trainer Darren Treacy takes a team of four to Port Macquarie on Sunday and he’s excited about the future for lightly raced pair Dance Dance Dance and Phoenix Power.

Trainer Darren Treacy (Pic: Trackside)

So much so if Dance Dance Dance happens to win the WIN Television Sales Port Macquarie Cup Prelude (1812m) he’d likely give the gelding his shot in the $200,000 Cup, a Big Dance eligible race, on October 10.

First and second from the Prelude are exempt from ballot.

“If the horse pulls up fine, yeah why not,’’ Treacy said.

“He shows enough ability at home on the track, when we were at Newcastle he was taking time to mature and fill out. I think he’s better than the average horse.”

Dance Dance Dance won a maiden at Newcastle in February and was successful first-up in his current prep over 1500m at Port Macquarie four weeks ago.

Treacy recognises he’s rising in class but the four-year-old has only raced 10 times and he’s confident the best is still ahead.

“I always had a high opinion of him,’’ he said.

“He’s getting out to the distance he needs to be and I dare say he’ll be thereabouts. The tempo of the race could be a bit of an issue but if there is pace on he’ll be there at the finish.”

Phoenix Power will be having just his 10th race start in the Australian Survivor Handicap (1509m) and is also coming off a first-up win at a distance Treacy says was always going to be short of his best.

The gelding’s first win was over the mile at Taree in March and he proved too strong on resumption at Coffs Harbour where Treacy banked on his ability getting him across the line.

“I thought he’d run a really good race first-up and get away with it. He’s getting to the distance he needs to get out to,’’ he said.

“He’ll just go through his grades, he’s always shown he had a bit of talent but we’ve taken our time with him and he’s giving connections some rewards.

“He should be thereabouts. There’s a bit of speed there and it’s a case of positioning him up where he’s comfortable, I think he’s a better chaser than he is a leader.”

Treacy made his NRL debut in 1994 for Newcastle, he’s also played for St George and the joint venture with Illawarra plus a season in the UK before wrapping his football career with a season at Parramatta in the early 2000s.

The 54-year-old trainer is in his second full season having saddled up his first runner just under two years ago.

He’s been in the background in racing since he was a teenager, racing horses with Noel Mayfield-Smith when he was based at Newcastle and dabbling in breeding horses. He worked for the likes of Sam Kavanagh and Kris Lees prior to getting his license in 2023.

Dance Dance Dance wins at Port Macquarie on September 1

Darren Treacy on Faiza Star (race 3): “It’s taking a long time for the penny to drop with her. She needs to do everything right in the run, I’m not worried about the barrier as it kind of suits her. She’s a big striding horse and needs clear air.”

On Hoo Haa (race 5): “I’ve had her for three weeks, she’s been racing at the provincials (with Mark Cross). We’ve freshened her up and we’ll see what she does first-up for me.”

All the fields, form and replays for Sunday's Port Macquarie meeting