Trans-Tasman double for Dundeel debutants

Dundeel’s six first-crop 2YO winners gave an encouraging preview of his capabilities as a sire, but he has picked up the pace dramatically in the first six weeks of the new season.

A pair of quality debut performances on Friday took his tally of 3YO winners to five. Add Dealmaker and Irukandji who have already shown up in Group company this term, and it will be no surprise to see his next stakeswinner emerge from this group.

Lincoln Falls’ trainer Lisa Latta is in no hurry to test him in black type company, but on the evidence of his excellent win over 1100m at Woodville, he has what’s required to step up to that level. 

Settled mid-field and wide by jockey Johnathan Parkes, Lincoln Falls rounded up his rivals in the straight to score untouched by 1.5 lengths from Heart Of Stone and Got The Call.

Watch Lincoln Falls win at Woodville.

Latta said afterwards, “He’s got a ton of improvement in him. We’ve never really had to let his head go on the track or at the trials, so it is always a bit of a worry heading into raceday.

“Johnathan did the right thing going back, and I have to admit I was a little bit worried at the 600m how relaxed he was, but he will learn a lot from that and really go ahead.

“He holds a nomination for the 2000 Guineas, but we will just take him along lightly. There is a special conditions maiden at Hastings on the last day of their carnival and something like that might be a soft option for him.”

Bred by Nearco Stud, Lincoln Falls is the fourth foal of dual Listed winner Causeway Queen, a Giant’s Causeway half-sister to the brilliant sprinter Solar Charged, dam of the equally brilliant Sunlight.

Sent to the 2017 New Zealand Ready To Run Sale, Lincoln Falls was bought for $200,000 from the JK Farm draft by John Street’s Lincoln Farms. His half-sister by Olympic Glory was a $155,000 buy from this year’s Inglis Classic Sale for Blue Sky Bloodstock and as Love Handles, is in training with Danny O’Brien at Flemington. Causeway Queen’s next two foals are colts by Dundeel.

Three hours after Lincoln Falls’ success, Miss Einstein made her debut on Newcastle Cup day count when Jason Collett sent her through on the rail for a convincing 1.3 length victory over 1200 metres.

Watch Miss Einstein win at Newcastle.

Bred by Bob & Fiona Guth’s Galaxy Breeding Syndicate and sold for $170,000 by Newhaven Park at Magic Millions Gold Coast,  Miss Einstein is the first foal of the talented, but unlucky Starcraft mare Simply Brilliant who, like her daughter, was trained by Bjorn Baker. 

The Guths have retained Green Jacket, Simply Brilliant’s 2YO son by More Than Ready, and the mare is due to foal again to Dundeel later this Spring.

Add Dealmaker’s two Group placings in Sydney  and wins by Global Exchange, I’m Dun Dreamin’ (on debut) and Sunreel, and Dundeel’s prospects for major Spring success are bright indeed.