Dundeel colt on New Zealand Derby trail
Always charismatic, Dundeel is now building momentum as a highly progressive second-season sire. (PHOTO: Darren Tindale)
Second-crop sire Dundeel has set himself up for a big Autumn with a steady stream of impressive winners from major stables during the first third of the season.
New Zealand-owned colt Lincoln Falls has stepped up to spearhead Dundeel’s Autumn assault with a soft win over 1400 metres at Trentham on Saturday.
Jockey Johnathan Parkes confirmed that the performance was as good as it looked. “He was just a class ahead of them today and I did like the way he settled off a very slow pace and he’s travelled up really well.
“I still think he is learning and every time he gets out there the penny is going to drop a little more, but he is a first-class animal and he will go on to bigger and better things.”
“That’s as soft as you’ll get it”@lisalattaracing‘s Lincoln Falls ($1.30) continues his path towards the 2019 Vodafone NZ Derby with a dominant in the first on Captain Cook Stakes Day @WgtnRacing@SKYNZ #nzracing pic.twitter.com/ACDILqhCwC
— TAB Racing (@TAB_Racing) December 7, 2018
Lincoln Falls won on debut at Woodville and was a close second at Hastings on 6 October when slightly shinsore. Trainer Lisa Latta and owners John Street, Christopher Grace & Kevin Pratt elected to spell him for three weeks and the colt returned to trial very well on 27 November before his his Trentham success.
He will now be set for the $1 million ARC New Zealand Derby G1 on 2 March, and will have his first look at Ellerslie in the Uncle Remus S. LR on Boxing Day.
Lincoln Falls was bred by Nearco Stud from the dual stakeswinner Causeway Queen, a Giant’s Causeway half-sister to brilliant sprinter Solar Charged, now the dam of the even more brilliant Group 1 winner Sunlight. John Street’s Lincoln Farms paid $200,000 for the colt at the 2017 New Zealand Ready To Run Sale where he was offered by JK Farm.
Causeway Queen has a 2YO daughter Love Handles (by Olympic Glory), a yearling full brother to Lincoln Falls in the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft for the Inglis Premier Sale, a 2018 colt by Dundeel and a positive test to the six-time Group 1 winner.
Eight members of Dundeel’s first crop have won in the past month, and with 11 last-start winners in major Australian & New Zealand stables he is well-placed to build his profile as Summer racing rolls on into the Autumn.
There are 14 Dundeel yearlings catalogued for the 2019 Magic Millions Sale, among them 7 colts and a filly consigned by Arrowfield.
