Dunkel’s star continues to rise in South Australian Derby

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The three-year-old gelding hands Arrowfield Stud’s Dundeel his seventh Group 1 winner

The Patrick Payne-trained Dunkel continued his upward trajectory as he showed an impressive burst of speed to win the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) at Morphettville yesterday, handing his sire Dundeel (High Chaparral) a seventh individual Group 1 winner and second this season.

Ridden by Billy Egan, who was tasting Group 1 glory for the first time, Dunkel came with a late flourish to nail long-time leader and pre-race favourite Promises Kept (Cluster) 50 metres from the line, eventually beating that rival by three-quarters of a length. Aberfeldie Boy (So You Think) was a further length and a half away in third. 

Payne, who was not at Morphettville yesterday, instead choosing to oversee his runners at Flemington, added a fifth Group 1 success to his CV, while he also won the South Australian Derby during his career as a jockey when he steered Bullwinkle (Bellotto) to victory in 1994. 

Dunkel’s rise to the top has been a steep one. Breaking his maiden on debut last October, the gelding strung together a four-race unbeaten stint in the summer, headlined by victories in the Launceston Guineas (Listed, 2100m) and Tasmanian Derby (Listed, 2200m). 

However, his winning run came to an abrupt end when he finished a disappointing ninth in the Alister Clark Stakes (Gr 2, 2040m) on March 18, after which he was sent for a short spell in preparation for yesterday’s race, a plan part-owner Brandan Danaher was quick to praise Payne for. 

“It’s very special,” said Danaher. “All credit to Patrick – a fantastic training effort. [Dunkel] hasn’t run for two months and it’s a terrific training job he’s done with him.

“He’s an amazing horse and it’s been amazing the way he’s won. We’ve had a wonderful association and credit Patrick the whole thing. We couldn’t thank him enough, he’s just fantastic.”

Egan said he was confident throughout the race and kept the faith when Promises Kept surged clear in the straight. 

“When we left the straight the first time I was like, ‘this is gonna be easy, I’ll just sort of sit one-off, bide my time and go’. Then we got shuffled back and we had to work our way through them,” said Egan.

“He’s got that killer instinct and every horse out there he wants to pass, and that’s what he did. The further we got into the straight, the more my bloke tried, and he wanted to pass it.

“Thanks to Patty [Patrick] and the whole team, it’s not just my first Group 1, it’s all of ours together. We’ve been a team for a long time, so I’m just really happy we can enjoy it as a team.”

Bred by Sir Peter Vela’s Pencarrow Thoroughbreds, Dunkel (3 g Dundeel – Kudamm by Cape Cross) was bought by Steven Ramsey for NZ$40,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale in 2021, before being snapped up by Kevin Myers for NZ$100,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale later that year. 

The gelding is out of the Listed-placed Cape Cross (Green Desert) mare Kudamm, making him half-brother to a further five winners. Further back in his pedigree, this is the same family as dual elite-level winner Zoman (Affirmed). 

Dundeel’s progeny has enjoyed a brilliant season on the track with Dunkel joining Militarize, winner of the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) during the autumn, as the stallion’s other elite-level winner this season. 

The stallion’s tally of top-flight winners now stands at seven, a list which includes Castelvecchio and Super Seth, who stand at Arrowfield Stud and Waikato Stud respectively. 

In response to his progney’s performance this season, Dundeel will stand for an increased fee of $82,500 (inc GST), having commanded a fee of $66,000 (inc GST) last season.  

Justify and Encryption chalk up new stakes winners

Top-class two-year-old action took place up and down Australia yesterday, with first season sires Justify (Scat Daddy) and Encryption (Lonhro) both chalking up new stakes winners, while Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) also added to his juvenile black type tally. 

Coolmore’s US Triple Crown-winning stallion Justify was handed his tenth overall stakes winner, and third in Australia, courtesy of Air Assault’s maiden triumph in yesterday’s South Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Morphettville, while Eureka Stud’s first season sire Encryption chalked up his first stakes winner when the Rex Lipp-trained Cifrado took out the Spirit Of Boom Classic (Gr 2, 1200m) at Doomben. 

Trained by Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas, Air Assault finished second on debut at Gawler but then failed to trouble the judge on his four subsequent starts. 

However, the colt clearly appreciated stepping out to 1400 metres for the first time, leading from pillar to post to defeat pre-race favourite Nodachi (No Nay Never) by a long neck. Harley ‘N’ Rose (Holler) was a further two and a half lengths away in third. 

Air Assault’s victory in the South Australian Sires’ Produce was special for the stable given it was Macdonald’s seventh triumph in the race. The trainer first won it in 1983 with Taminor (Estaminet) before Umrum (Umatilla) (1997), Li Lo Lill  (Umatilla) (2001), Rebel Raider (Reset) (2008), Go Indy Go (Bernardini) (2014) – Air Assualt’s half-sister – and Tequila Time (Stratum) (2018) having all added their names to the trophy. 

However, Gluyas said Air Assault’s victory took him by surprise, given the colt’s unruly attitude. 

“The way [Air Assault] is bred, it looks like he’s going to take ground. He definitely needs a break, hopefully we can geld him and then hopefully we can have the genuine article racing in the spring,” the co-trainer said. 

“It’s pretty amazing … we’re always around the mark with these two-year-olds who are emerging. It’s a tribute to what Leon’s done over time and obviously our team.”

The win provided jockey Jason Holder the first leg of an impressive five-timer on the card.

Bred by The Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust, Air Assault (2 c Justify – Elegant Eagle by Zabeel) was passed in at the 2022 edition of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale after failing to make his $100,000 reserve. 

The colt is out of three-time winner Elegant Eagle (Zabeel), who is also the dam of the aforementioned Go Indy Go, the winner of the ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m). Meanwhile, Elegant Eagle also produced Group 3 winner Essay Raider (Bernardini) and further back this is the same family as Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Southern Speed (Southern Image). 

Elegant Eagle produced a colt by Omaha Beach (War Front) in 2022. 

In winning the race, Air Assault joins Justify’s other southern hemisphere-bred stakes winners Learning To Fly and Legacies. After sitting out the 2022 breeding season in Australia, Justify will return to Coolmore’s Hunter Valley base for the 2023 season where he will command a fee of $77,000 (inc GST). 

Justify is currently on track to be crowned Australia’s champion first season sire by earnings, while he is sitting in second-equal place in terms of winners with five. 

Cifrado lives up to hype

Later in the afternoon at Doomben, Cifrado lived up to his trainer’s lofty expectations when he squeezed between runners in the shadow of the winning post, eventually beating Armed Forces (I Am Invincible) by three-quarters of a length in the Spirit Of Boom Classic. Appin Girl (Capitalist) was a further neck away in third. 

Prior to yesterday’s win, the colt was last seen finishing third in the Dalrello Stakes (Listed, 1000m) and Lipp said that performance made him confident he was capable of running well in the Group 2, which he won at odds of $26.

“His run the other day over 1000 metres was extraordinary,” Lipp said. “He had to go back from the bad barrier, and he made up a lot of ground and was hitting the line. I actually thought the horse could win today.

“He’s a colt that’s on the way up, I think he’s going to be a very, very good horse as a three-year-old.

“I thought he should have been one off the fence but he was happy on the fence. I didn’t know how he’d be on the fence because he’s never seen the fence before.”

Cifrado (2 g Encryption – Madame Fly by Excites) was purchased from the draft of Eureka Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $320,000 by owner Cliff Little.

Bred by Black Soil Bloodstock, the colt is out of Madame Fly (Excites) making him a half-brother to Listed winner Miami Fleiss (Spirit Of Boom) and Listed-placed gelding Cochrane (Spirit Of Boom). 

Miami Fleiss herself is out of the stakes-placed mare McFly (Perugino), making her a half-sister to Group 3 winner Chapter And Verse (Rothesay). 

Madame Fly died in 2021 and her final foal, a filly by Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo), was purchased by Yes Bloodstock for $475,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year. 

Cifrado is one of two winners for Encryption, with dual scorer Floral Code the other. The stallion is set to stand the 2023 season for an unchanged fee of $13,200 (inc GST). 

Snitzel moves further clear

Meanwhile, Arrowfield Stud’s Snitzel also got among the winners yesterday, chalking up his fifth juvenile stakes winner of the season when the Sir Owen Glenn-bred-and-owned filly Hip Hip Hurrah came out on top of a blanket finish to win the Woodlands Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Scone. 

The Michael Freedman-trained filly remained unbeaten from two starts when she denied the James Cummings-trained Dipsy Doodle (Lonhro) by a head, while Miracle Of Love (Dundeel) was a further long neck away in third. 

“There’s not much of her but she certainly makes up for it with heart,” Freedman’s stable representative Caitlin Smith said. 

“She’s one of Sir Owen’s homebred fillies out of a very good mare that they sadly lost so it’s very special to get a [stakes] win with her.” 

Winning jockey Brett Prebble said Hip Hip Hurrah will continue to improve with race experience. 

“The one to beat [Dipsy Doodle] was outside me so we had to make it a bit of a ding-dong go but she really toughed it out hard,” Prebble said. 

“The last 20 yards was enough for her because she was just that little bit on the bridle for me. She’s only small but she is really tough and honest. 

“Everything I’ve done with her, she gives me a feel she will improve as she gets older. I don’t know if she’ll get bigger but experience-wise, she will get better.” 

Hip Hip Hurrah (2 f Snitzel – Pure Elation by I Am Invincible) is the first foal out of dual Group 2 winner Pure Elation (I Am Invincible), herself a daughter of Listed winner Members Joy (Hussonet). 

Snitzel is on track to become Australia’s Champion Two-Year-Old Sire by earnings, with the stallion sitting more than $1 million in prize-money ahead of second-placed Exceed And Excel (Danehill). Snitzel’s highest earner is Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Shinzo, who has pocketed $3,018,250 in career earnings. 

The stallion will stand the upcoming breeding season for an increased fee of $247,500 (inc GST), having commanded a fee of $220,000 (inc GST) last season.