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Autumn carnival star It’s A Dundeel has completed his New Zealand spell and is ready to start his preparation for the spring.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The rising four-year-old, winner of Sydney’s three-year-old Triple Crown of the Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and ATC Australian Derby, is back in the Cambridge stable of his co trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
The four-time G1 winner was spelled after he ended his autumn campaign with a second to the high class import Reliable Man in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 27.
Forsman said It’s A Dundeel will do all his spring racing in Australia.
“We have the Cox Plate as his main target and he will have three lead-up runs,” Forsman said.
“We are trying not to look too far ahead of ourselves but those are our main plans.”
There are many weight-for-age options open to It’s A Dundeel in both Sydney and Melbourne in the lead-up to the $3 million WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 26 with his program to be locked in closer to the time.
It’s A Dundeel has won eight of his 12 starts and has earned $2.7million prizemoney.
Forsman said stablemates Atlante and Orion were slated to travel to Australia with It’s A Dundeel for spring campaigns.
“Both have been ear-marked to travel over with Dundeel as the owners are keen to try Australia,” Forsman said.
Meanwhile the G1 performers Zurella and Artistic have returned to New Zealand after their Brisbane carnival campaigns.
Zurella will be set for G2 Let’s Elope Stakes and the G1 Myer Classic at the Melbourne carnival while a decision on whether Oaks winner Artistic races on is retired for breeding is yet to be made by her owner Dick Karreman.
