Dundeel filly wins G1 South Australian Derby

Dundeel notched up his 9th individual Group 1 winner, and the 14th Group 1 success by his progeny, when 3YO filly Femminile swept through on the rail and defied the challenge of favourite Statuario to take out Saturday’s $1 million SAJC South Australian Derby 2500m G1.

She is the 5th Arrowfield-sired winner of the race in the past decade after Coco Sun (by The Autumn Sun), Dunkel (by Dundeel), Qafila (by Not A Single Doubt) & Howard Be Thy Name ( by Redoute’s Choice). 

Already a stakeswinner, after winning the Oaklands S. LR at her second juvenile start, Femminile was third in Too Darn Discreet’s Ethereal S. G3 last Spring before an unplaced effort in the VRC Oaks G1. 

She returned in March to finish just behind the placegetters in the Auraria S. G3 & Australasian Oaks G1, and confirm her trainer Phillip Stokes’ view that she was ready to run a strong 2500 metres.

So it proved – in fact, Femminile’s winning time of 2:38.36 at Morphettville was faster than Treasurethe Moment’s VRC Oaks-winning time on similar ground at Flemington in November.

FEMMINILE IS A GROUP 1 WINNER 💥 

The daughter of @ArrowfieldStud stallion Dundeel storms home on the inside @SAJockeyClub to take the win in the Group 1 South Australian Derby!

A terrific ride by @LNeindorf and beautifully trained by the @pstokesracing team.

Congratulations… pic.twitter.com/FDLfZIm8xc

— OTI Racing (@OTIRacing) May 3, 2025

Assistant Trainer Tommy Stokes said, “She’s just been prepped up to a tee, and the back-up really suited, stepping up in trip. We were doing a bit of a rain dance before today, but she didn’t need it. Lachie [Neindorf] gave her an absolute peach.”

“It was quite an effortless watch in the end. I’m just very proud, especially another winner for OTI being a Group 1.”

Bred by Simon Delzoppo’s Aralet Pty Ltd, Femminile is the first foal of Femme Fireball (by Pierro), a stakes-placed 7-time winner for the Robert Heathcote stable. She was offered for sale at Inglis Easter 2023 and purchased for $150,000 by the Stokes stable and bloodstock agent Rick Connolly.

Femminile races in the Navy Blue, Gold & White silks of Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing, with Aralet also in the ownership group.

Dundeel is now 6th among Australia’s leading sires of stakeswinners this season, with 9 Group & Listed winners – six of them fillies & mares. 

As Arrowfield’s Chairman John Messara told ANZ Bloodstock‘s Trevor Marshallsea, “He’s now got a Group 1-winning filly, he’s got two sons at stud who are successful, and nine Group 1 winners. There’s not many stallions who get that and he’s only rising 16. And his best years are ahead of him because these are all good books of mares coming through now.”

John added, “He’s starting to look like a pretty good sire of broodmares as well. We’ve had some very nice types out of Dundeel mares at home. He’s doing the business all round. It’s really good to see.”