Dundeel: Derby glory for a Derby hero?

Cover image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud

Last year's G1 Randwick Guineas saw a bit of history in regards to sire line with Celestial Legend becoming the first winner of that Classic sired by a winner of the same race; Arrowfield Stud's high achieving Dundeel (NZ).

He is big odds, but should Deal N'Dash from the in-form Bjorn Baker stable take out Saturday's G1 ATC Derby, Dundeel will seal another achievement by becoming the first of that race's winners this century to sire another winner.

And just the fifth ever.

It has been a long time since that feat was accomplished with the latest being the 1924 winner Heroic, whose sons Hall Mark and Nuffield both claimed the Sydney and VRC Derby double; the former in 1933 (also winning that year's G1 Melbourne Cup) and the latter in 1938.

The first horse to win the race and sire a winner was Robinson Crusoe, the 1876 victor who also sired two dual Derby winners; Navigator in 1882 and Trident four years later.

The 1907 winner Mountain King sired the 1911 winner Mountain Knight, whilst the 1909 winner Prince Foote had the 1919 VRC and AJC Derby hero Richmond Main.

In summary, it is no easy task for a Derby winner to go to stud and sire a Derby winner - which leads to the question of just how well winners of the big Randwick race fare at stud overall.

The answer puts Dundeel in very good light as one of the most successful modern day Derby winners at stud.

And, by number of stakes winners, the third most prolific.

The mighty Maltster

The leading position in that regard is currently held by the 1900 winner Maltster.

What a grand galloper he was, enjoying an almost Phar Lap (NZ) (Night Raid {GB}) Melbourne Cup week record by racing on all four days of the carnival; on the Saturday winning the VRC Derby, running second in the Melbourne Cup, taking out the Flying Stakes (the Linlithgow) over six furlongs (1200 metres) on Oaks Day, and the CB Fisher Plate (the Queen Elizabeth Stakes) over 12 furlongs (2400 metres) on the final day.

The winner of several other feature contests, Maltster retired to Widden Stud from where he earned the title of Champion Australian Sire on five occasions.

The Australian Stud Book credits him with 39 stakes winners and there were a number of high class gallopers amongst that tally, including Alawa, Malt King and Popinjay.

Statistically Maltster is always going to be the king of the Derby winners at stud, as he served less mares with horses contesting less stakes races, but it was an era where the middle distance-staying type horse earned greater respect at stud as they do now.

The second most successful Derby winner by numbers of stakes winners is a horse who didn't actually stand in Australia, the great globe-trotter Strawberry Road who was well represented by 37 stakes winners (34 in the United Stakes, three in Canada) including six Group 1 winners.

With his 36 stakes winners including eight Group 1 winners, Dundeel is faring exceptionally well in third place, and it won't be long until he takes the title of the most prolific Derby winner at stud.

Only the 1864 winner Yattendon (33), Heroic (29), and the 1885 winner Nordenfeldt (NZ) (28) sired more than 25 stakes winners, and only one other modern era winner has a comparable record; the great Octagonal (NZ) with 25.

A story that is not yet fully told

“Dundeel's story is one not yet fully told,” said Arrowfield Stud's John Messara, who is rightfully very proud of Dundeel's achievements at stud.

“The quality of his books has only increased and people have figured out how to train his progeny," he said, noting that "like him, they are just not 2-year-olds, which is what his genetics suggest.”

“By High Chaparral out of a Zabeel mare, you really shouldn't be expecting an early type!” he said.

“Dundeel raced only once at two and that was late in the season, it was at three in those Sydney Triple Crown races that we really saw his best, and his performances were incredible.”

Messara admits that it took him a couple of inspections to really appreciate that Dundeel was going to be a good fit for Arrowfield.

“The first time we looked at him, I thought, oh he is a bit small!

“But a few months later, we had another look and thought, 'well, he is such an exceptional race horse, let's have a go'.”

A decision he has had no cause to regret, not only due to Dundeel's success, but also because of the remaining involvement of his owners, including his breeders Murray and Jo Andersen.

“It is a very good syndicate, one which has been very supportive of Dundeel from the start,” Messara said.

“It's a great group of people who are enthusiastic as we are in giving the horse every chance.”

In the prime of his career

It is Dundeel's zest that appeals to Messara, who said that the 15-year-old is in the “prime of his career”.

“He is so full of energy, he has that vigour and electricity you like to see in a horse. His progeny have that too, and it is just a matter of trainers containing and making the best use of that.

“He is a versatile stallion, you can get a middle distance horse or sprinter/miler who trains on and those sort of horses can be a lot of fun.”

Messara is also impressed by how quickly Dundeel is forging a reputation as a sire of sires, with Super Seth and Castelvecchio both already making names for themselves, with the latter's daughter Aeliana favourite in the Derby.

“Both of those stallions have had 2-year-old winners, but they are like Dundeel in that when their progeny turned three, they really started to come out of the woodwork,” he said.

“The market is beginning to accept these sort of horses. Obviously you are still happy for your stallion to sire good 2-year-olds, but our aim is just to get the best horses, not just the best young horses.”

Messara likes Dundeel's compact, strong conformation, noting the soundness of the breed.

“They just don't break down, they are very hardy.”

The Dundeel fan club

The Dundeel fan club, he said, is a big one.

“There are quite a few owners who specifically seek his progeny out,” Messara noted, pointing out Bon Ho, owner of the Arrowfield Stud-bred dual Group 1 winner Celestial Legend, as an example.

“I think he has got about 10 of them! And there are other owners like him.”

Celestial Legend, who is having a second crack at the G1 Doncaster Handicap he won last year, is one of Dundeel's seven runners at Randwick on Saturday, with Militarize (NZ) also taking his place in that big mile field (a race in which Super Seth's son Linebacker is a leading contender).

Aside from his Derby runner (as well as his granddaughter), Dundeel has Miss Alexis contesting the G3 Adrian Knox Stakes, Laspirit Deeler in the G2 Chairman's Quality, and Fukubana in the Country Championships Final. And Shangri La Spring by Castelvecchio is well fancied in the G3 Carbine Club Stakes.

Dundeel is in fine form leading up to the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, where he has 10 well-related yearlings due to go through the ring.

Lot 13, a filly out of Kneeling (Encosta De Lago), a dual Listed winner whose four winners include the stakes winners Dashing Legend (Snitzel) and Bend The Knee (Snitzel). From and line-bred to Northern Dancer's (Can) prolific family, she is also 4 X 4 Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}) and 5 X 6 X 5 her dam Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), with this Dundeel/Encosta de Lago cross represented by 21 winners from 29 runners, including the G2 Moonee Valley Vase winner Red Aces.

Lot 48, a colt out of Maracaibo (Redoute's Choice), who is a stakes-placed three-quarter-sister to the Group 3 galloper Thalassophile (Not A Single Doubt), he has Encosta De Lago as his second dam sire; therefore also line-bred to Fairy Bridge and Special. Also boasting a cross of another great mare in All Moonshine (GB) (Bobsleigh {GB}), he is bred on the same Dundeel/Redoute's Choice cross as Super Seth and three other stakes winners.

Lot 137, a colt out of Salutations (Redoute's Choice), is a full brother to Super Seth and half-brother to the dual Group winner Wild Planet (Animal Kingdom {USA}).

Gallery: A selection of Dundeel's (NZ) offspring on offer at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale | Images courtesy of Inglis

Lot 191, a colt out of Stay With Me (Street Cry {Ire}), is a half-brother to the dual Listed winner Waltz On By (I Am Invincible) and a full brother to the Group 2-placed Duvana. He is out of a G1 1000 Guineas winner whose dam is the star mare Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice). He boasts a cross of Sadler's Wells (USA), noting that the combination of Dundeel and a further strain of that great stallion has an excellent 70 per cent winning strike rate, with eight stakes winners amongst the 63 winners.

Lot 203, a colt from Supriym Story (General Nediym), is a half-brother to the Group 1 VRC Oaks heroine Lasqueti Spirit (Beneteau). Dundeel's three winners from only four runners out of mares by General Nediym include the Group 3 winner Irukandji.

Lot 235, a colt out of Tune Doubt (Not A Single Doubt); his dam, a daughter of the fast stakes winning successful broodmare Jestatune, is line-bred to Rory's Jester who has combined nicely with Dundeel with Yourdeel and Super Seth both Group 1 examples.

Lot 256, a colt from White Moss (Mossman), is the son of a terrific mare who recorded four Group victories. Her dual Group-winning dam Pay My Bail (NZ) (Justice Prevails) also produced the stakes winner White Sage (Reset).

Gallery: A selection of Dundeel's (NZ) offspring on offer at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale | Images courtesy of Inglis

Lot 275, a colt out of Amerindia (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), is a full brother to the triple Group 1 winner Militarize, who contests Saturday's G1 Doncaster Handicap. He boasts crosses of the excellent mares Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Doubly Sure (GB) (Reliance {Fr}).

Lot 314, a colt out of Campania (Dubai Destination {USA}), is a half-brother to the G3 Manawatu Classic winner Amalfi Prince (Sebring) and full brother to the promising last-start winner Dolce Dior, out of a stakes-placed multiple city-winning granddaughter of the G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Born Priceless (Pricelessly {USA}).

Lot 332, a colt from Courchevel (Snitzel); like Celestial Legend and two other stakes winners, he is out of a mare by fellow Arrowfield star Snitzel. His dam is a half-sister to the mighty one - Winx (Street Cry) - from a family that features the Doncaster favourite and last-start G1 George Ryder Stakes winner Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}).

Also of interest is Lot 120, the sole Super Seth yearling at the sale; he being a full brother to the Listed winner Poetic Champion (NZ), out of a half-sister to Starspangledbanner.

HOOFNOTE: historical stakes winning statistics are sourced from the Australian Stud Book, which may not include international stakes winners.