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It’s A Dundeel is now a dual Group 1 winner after the Murray Baker-trained colt stormed to victory in the G1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) last Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The Randwick Guineas is a relatively new race on the racing calendar, last Saturday being just the eighth renewal. The race replaced the time honoured Canterbury Guineas normally run at Canterbury over 1900m as one of the lead up races to the Australian Derby at Randwick.
However the Randwick Guineas has quickly established a niche for itself, already proving a great incubator for future top line performers. For example last year the race produced no less than four subsequent group one winners, Mosheen, Laser Hawk, Ocean Park and Moment Of Change.
Add to those Shoot Out, Captain Sonador, Kidnapped, Gathering, Metal Bender, Rock Kingdom, Weekend Hussler, Triple Honour, Sniper’s Bullet, Danleigh, De Beers, Testafiable, Roman Emperor, Rebel Raider, Zabrasive, Shoot off and Headturner as other subsequent group one winners from the race and it is not hard to understand why this race has become such a strong autumn form reference for punters.
The signs were there that It’s A Dundeel was primed for a solid autumn preparation when resuming with a solid fourth in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill last time out, getting home hard late on a day where many runners found it hard to make up any ground on the leaders in the straight.
Second up on Saturday, rising to a mile with blinkers added for the first time, It’s A Dundeel appeared to appreciate the conditions in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) conducted at Warwick Farm.
It’s A Dundeel settled worse than midfield however was ridden confidently by James McDonald, the pair looming large upon straightening.
The High Chaparral colt struck the front just inside the final furlong and stormed to a half length victory over Proisir with Tatra three lengths away in third.
In taking out the Randwick Guineas, It’s A Dundeel became a dual Group 1 winning galloper in what was assessed as a career best performance.
It’s A Dundeel’s latest success over arch rival Proisir yielded him a new peak Timeform figure of 123, one pound higher than his previous Group 1 victory last preparation in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), a race in which he also defeated Proisir.
Murray Baker’s latest stable star has now deprived Proisir of a second Group 1 win. But both gallopers can be expected to find more in coming starts.
Looking at the Randwick Guineas from a historical perspective, It’s A Dundeel’s success sits marginally above the five year winning average of the event.
Randwick Guineas winners during that five year period were Mosheen, Ilovethiscity, Shoot Out, Metal Bender and Weekend Hussler.
All with the exception of Ilovethiscity whose career was cut short due to injury were multiple Group 1 winners.
Murray Baker will plot a tried and tested course with It’s A Dundeel to next month’s Australian Derby (2400m) with the colts upcoming assignment the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 30.
Since the Randwick Guineas has been conducted over a mile from 2006, only one horse in the form of Metal Bender in 2009 has claimed the Randwick/Rosehill Guineas double.
A year later, Shoot Out claimed the Randwick Guineas/Australian Derby double.
Octagonal was the last horse to claim the 3YO Sydney Triple Crown when he took out the then Canterbury Guineas (1900m), the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and the Derby, but no horse has achieved the feat since the Randwick Guineas replaced the Canterbury Guineas.
The John Hawkes-trained star also picked up the Mercedes Classic (now The BMW) for good measure along the way.
While winning the 3YO Triple Crown is no easy feat, It’s A Dundeel does profile well heading further into the autumn.
It’s A Dundeel joined Hotel Grand as the only winners of the G1 Champion Stakes in the Spring and Randwick Guineas in the Autumn, significantly his current master rating sits very close to the current five-year-winning averages for both the Rosehill Guineas and the Australian Derby.
The colt showed he has the necessary mix of stamina and acceleration over the Rosehill Guineas trip when claiming the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) last spring over Proisir.
His next start will arguably be the biggest obstacle between It’s A Dundeel and the 3YO Triple Crown with the galloper shaping as the standout in what at this point looks a below average crop of three-year-old stayers
This augers particularly well for a winning result in his main goal of the Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 13.
It’s A Dundeel has raced over the 2400m journey just once in his career to date when seventh in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington behind Fiveandahalfstar last spring.
The kiwi raider was arguably at the end of his preparation having had six starts across two states and the colt had plenty to do over the concluding stages, but he still managed to break 60 seconds for the last 1000m of the race.
It’s A Dundeel should be in a prime position to turn the tables on Fiveandahalfstar going into the race fourth up.
Prosir shapes as the other runner from last Saturday’s Group 1 Randwick Guineas poised for success at the top level this autumn.
Three-year-olds have a tremendous record in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile scheduled for April 20 and this will be Proisir’s main autumn goal according to trainer Gai Waterhouse.
The colt is currently second favourite in early markets for the event with stablemates Pierro and More Joyous on either side of him.
It will be interesting to see what path Waterhouse plots to the Doncaster for Proisir with the leading trainer having a number of options.
On March 30, the son of Choisir could either go with It’s A Dundeel to the Rosehill Guineas or drop back in distance for the Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m).
A week later, the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) or the Tulloch Stakes (2000m) are potential options.
Of those four above mentioned races, it is the George Ryder Stakes which has proven the key lead up race for the Doncaster Mile.
Five of the last 10 Doncaster Mile winners have been readied for the prestigious event in the 1500m weight-for-age George Ryder Stakes on Golden Slipper Day.
Third placed Tatra recaptured his best form with a game third running to his best Timeform rating 114, a figure he produced in the 2012 G1 Champagne Stakes behind Pierro.
Tatra should continue to race well this campaign and may even improve again.
Race favourite Rebel Dane finished fourth after being ridden much more forward from his inside barrier.
While he battled on well behind the placegetters he was never a winning threat and may have felt the effects of two hard runs early in his campaign.
It would be unwise to dismiss the younger galloper on this run but he maybe better suited having a let up and dropping back in distance.
Former New Zealand galloper Sacred Falls is getting close to a win.
This was his second run in Australia for Chris Waller and he caught the eye with a late finish from second last on the turn to take fifth placing just under four lengths from the winner.
He still has a couple of lengths of improvement to come from his peak New Zealand form and a win is not far away.
Tatra’s stablemates Proverb and Solemn are ready to step up in distance.
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