3 minute read

Provides Dundeel with his 10th stakes winners.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's excellent season continued when Entente (3 g ex Nextess by Stratum) led from pillar to post to land the Carbine Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Randwick on Saturday and in the process handed the Arrowfield Stud-based sire Dundeel (High Chaparral) with his 10th stakes winner. 

The three-year-old gelding came into the race having taken out his maiden on his fourth attempt last start at Hawkesbury and he stayed on well to beat a fast-finishing Bottega (Snitzel) who was eating up ground with every stride, eventually being downed by a head.

The gelding was being aimed at Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) during the Queensland Winter Carnival, but that has now been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and Bott said he could now run in the Frank Packer Plate (Gr 3, 2000m) back at Randwick on April 18. 

"I think a race like the Frank Packer Plate would be ideal. He's a horse we originally had pencilled in for the Queensland Derby but obviously we've had to rethink and change those plans pretty quickly," Bott said.

"That's the main reason he's here today and it's worked out well for him."

The gelding was purchased by Shaun Dwyer Thoroughbred Racing for $105,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in 2018 from the Bombora Downs draft and he is out two time-winning mare Nextess (Stratum) - making the gelding a three-quarters brother to Group 3 placed High 'n' Dry (High Chaparral). 

The gelding is the first stakes winner for four generations of his family, while his second dam Regal Tess (Bluebird) and third dam Knight's Contessa (Eldag) - were both Listed-placed. 

Nextess died in 2017 having produced just two foals. 

Dundeel, who has three crops of racing age, has sired four Group 1 winners; Atyaab, Castelvecchio, Super Seth and Yourdeel.