Team Dundeel lines up for major prizes
Nine per cent of Dundeel's runners are now stakes performers - 12 of them at Group 1 level. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
It’s been a very good week for Dundeel with 3YO Dunkel stepping up at stakes level and 2YOs Militarize and Fistsoffury – from his first crop bred on a $60,000 fee – scoring impressively in Victoria & Sydney.
In fact, it’s been an excellent couple of months for Dundeel whose 32 winners since 1 December up have won 41 races and $2 million. That run of success is set to continue as his team of up-and-comers begins to tackle major late Summer & Autumn prizes.
Dunkel became Dundeel’s 20th stakeswinner when victorious in the $125,000 Launceston Guineas 2100m LR, and five days later Militarize excited champion jockey James McDonald when he powered up from off the pace to win over 1200 metres at Canterbury.
A glowing report post race from @mcacajamez!
Drawing comparison between lovely debut winner Militarize and Castelvecchio!👀@cwallerracing @NewgateFarm @Chinahorseclub pic.twitter.com/DgDqwtnwaE
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 1, 2023
Dundeel is also making news courtesy of his two sire sons Castelvecchio and Super Seth, whose first yearlings have been warmly received at Magic Millions and Karaka selling up to $360,000 and NZ$625,000.
The champion son of High Chaparral currently holds 15th spot in a powerful group of stallions on Australia’s super-competitive General Sires’ Premiership. Here are some of the horses who can build his record over the next few months:
TWO-YEAR-OLDS
MILITARIZE – ex Amerindia (by Dubawi); bred by GSA Bloodstock
Trainer: Chris Waller
Magic Millions Gold Coast – $550,000 for China Horse Club, Newgate & Trilogy
Militarize showed sharp improvement from his first appearance to win his second trial in good style at Rosehill on 27 January, and his attention-grabbing debut win puts the Golden Slipper firmly on his horizon.
James McDonald said, “He was very good, he’s a lovely, professional horse that’s been given a bit of time and educated really well. Gee, that was a smart debut..I can remember Castelvecchio doing a similar thing on this course and distance. He’s the spitting image of his old man.”
FISTSOFFURY- ex Star Via Strada (by Street Boss); bred by Woodside Park & Graham Daws
Trainers: Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
Inglis Melbourne Premier – $150,000 for Hawkes Racing
He charged home over 1200m on debut at Pakenham on Australia Day in the manner of a horse going places, possibly including Rosehill on 18 March for the Golden Slipper.
Wayne Hawkes told Racing.com, “He’s a horse that’s certainly got nice ability…He did a really, really good job, even though he was green and did a few things wrong.”
He added, “We’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Dundeel and we’ve got a couple of nice ones at home. I think he’s a horse that’s going to be, maybe, the next good stallion, so we put our money where our mouth is, so to speak, and bought a few of them.”
Team Hawkes also prepares the Dundeel 2YOs SEKANI (ex Honesty Prevails) & INVINCIBLE EMMA (ex Stay With Me) bought from Arrowfield at Inglis Easter 2022.
Dundeel’s current 2YOs are the first of two crops whose dams include 69 stakeswinners (inc. 22 Group 1 winners) and 62 stakes producers (inc. 17 Group 1-producing mares).
TEAM DUNDEEL 2023 – photos by Bronwen Healy, Martin King, Darryl Sherer, Inglis & Magic Millions
THREE-YEAR-OLDS
DUNKEL – ex Kudamm (by Cape Cross); bred by Pencarrow Stud
Trainer: Patrick Payne
NZB Karaka Book 1 – $40,000; NZB Ready to Run – $100,000
Patrick Payne has nominated several major targets for the up-&-coming 3YO: the Tasmanian Derby LR on 10 February, the Alister Clark S. G2 on 18 March and the South Australian Derby G1 on 13 May.
Dunkel’s jockey Harry Coffey says, “He loves to win and attack the line, so what more can you ask. Every time he goes to the races, he improves and is still learning.”
ELLIPTICAL – ex Marquise Da Rossa (by Testa Rossa); bred by Phoenix Broodmare Farm
Trainers: Anthony & Sam Freedman
Magic Millions Gold Coast – $380,000 by Suman Hedge, Anthony Freedman & Blue Sky
Nominated for the All-Star Mile after a $1 million-earning Spring campaign including close seconds in the Caulfield Guineas G1 and Spring Champion S. G1.
OWEN COUNTY – ex Alleged Encounter (by Encounter); bred by Amarina Farm
Trainer: John Sargent
He showed enough in his pair of 2YO wins at Kembla Grange & Randwick for his trainer to give him a high-road campaign last Spring and although that didn’t produce success, Owen County remains, as Sargent describes him, “a promising stayer in the making.”
He is nominated for a 1400m race at Randwick-Kensington on Friday.
OLDER HORSES
THE INEVITABLE – ex Gift Bouquet (by King’s High; bred by Tori Park Stud
Trainer: Scott Brunton
Magic Millions Adelaide – $90,000 by David Brunton
The Tasmanian star has this season become Dundeel’s 7th millionaire after a sequence of three Listed victories in his home state. The popular-vote conditions of the $5 million All-Star Mile at The Valley helped Mystic Journey make the 2019 field (she also won the race) and give The Inevitable a better than average chance of emulating her in 2023.
HOPE IN YOUR HEART – ex Hayaat (by Montjeu); bred & raced by Alex & Deidre Iles
Trainer: Kerry Parker
The 4YO mare is another new member of the Dundeel Millionaires’ Club after adding a Golden Eagle 4th and The Gong 2nd to a pair of fine Group 3 wins earlier in the Spring.
She returned this week for a pipe-opening run in Nature Strip’s trial at Warwick Farm and looks capable of extending her black type record this Autumn.
DRIVE A DEEL – ex Drive On (by Fastnet Rock); bred by Michael Gangemi
Trainer: Robert Heathcote
Magic Millions National – $90,000 by ANH Developments
Another 4YO mare that has built an impressive record, with four straight wins up to 1600m in Brisbane during the Spring.
In November her trainer told Racenet, “She has got real class with a capital C…she is certainly a horse with a lot of potential.”
Dundeel has 18 yearlings catalogued for this month’s Inglis Classic Sale and 27 lots at Inglis Melbourne Premier next month.
