Dundeel steps up with abundant 3YO talent

Three excellent winners in three days, and six in 25 days give Dundeel a strong hand for 3YO racing in Australia & New Zealand as the Summer & Autumn Carnivals roll around. 

Hard on the heels of the Anthony Freedman-trained Shake On It at Moe on Thursday, and the Maher & Eustace-trained The Closer at Ballarat on Saturday, came Cutadeel at Te Rapa on Sunday.

Cutadeel, raced by Dundeel’s co-owners Mike & Sharyn Craig, their sons Jamie Craig and Adrian, Brendon & Darren Herd, and friends Kathleeen Wright & Cheryl Leonard, lined up as the only 3YO in the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Qualifier over 1600 metres.

Even a series of bumps in the straight could not blunt his finishing speed and he sped away in the final stages to score by 1.25 lengths from Masu and Summer Wind in 1:36.7 on the Dead6 track.

Watch Cutadeel win at Te Rapa. 

Jockey Opie Bosson said, “He’s not big, but he has a great turn of foot”, a comment equally descriptive of Dundeel during his own spectacular 3YO career.

Co-trainer Murray Baker indicated that Cutadeel will appreciate the Derby distance, so the New Zealand and perhaps the Australian Derby his sire won so brilliantly in 2013 are obvious targets for him.

Dunadeel @ArrowfieldStud 3YO Cutadeel @SharynCraigHB easily winning @DHorsefeeds Stayers Qualifier for trainers Baker/@ForsmanAndrew pic.twitter.com/ICQ0MrgXL1

— Mark Nowell (@MarkANowell) November 25, 2018

Like another seven of Dundeel’s 18 first-crop winners, Cutadeel is out of a Danehill-line mare, in his case Dineeta (by Dylan Thomas), descended from the Aga Kahan-bred stakeswinner Kermiya. Cutadeel’s 2YO brother was a $90,000 buy for Lloyd Kennewell from Grenville Stud at the 2018 Magic Millions Tasmanian Sale.

Fourteen Dundeel yearlings are catalogued for the 2019 Magic Millions Sales, eight of them offered by Arrowfield.