The charismatic bay made light of an earlier incident in the day when he
slipped over in the raceday stalls, parading before the main event with his
usual swagger.Not a big horse by any means, It's a Dundeel is all quality and is always an easy one to pick out of any line-up for all the right reasons.
A strong finishing second at his previous run behind Silent Achiever in the Group I BMW, It's a Dundeel stripped fitter for that hit out and was ready to rumble on Saturday.
With regular partner James McDonald on board, the Murray Baker trained four year-old stalked the leaders in third place before unleashing a brilliant turn of foot to reel them in and race clear to win the 2000 metre feature by the best part of a length over last Saturday's Doncaster hero Sacred Falls.
"The plan has always been this race, to have him peaking for the race today," trainer Murray Baker said.
"His work on Tuesday was nothing short of sensational and we knew we'd see the real It's A Dundeel here."
It was the sixth Group I victory for It's a Dundeel, who has the overall record of 10 wins and five placings from 19 starts with prizemoney of $5.3 million.
"I knew after that gallop on Tuesday he'd be ready to run the race of his life," James McDonald said.
"He was too strong and that's what we've been waiting for. He's a champion
racehorse when he's at his top and we saw that today."Bred by Murray Andersen, who also bred and raced his mother and grand-mother, It's a Dundeel was not offered at auction and was raced by a large syndicate of owners until Arrowfield Stud bought into him last year to take a major investment in the stallion prospect.
A half-brother to stakes-placed Twoeezy, he is one of five winners from Zabeel mare Stareel, who is a daughter of Group I New Zealand Oaks winner Staring.
Given the glowing reports on the first foals by High Chaparral's other champion son So You Think last spring, there is sure to be tremendous interest in It's a Dundeel when he retires to Arrowfield Stud later this year.
An English Derby winning son of Sadler's Wells, It's a Dundeel's sire High Chaparral has proven a huge success for Coolmore leaving 54 stakes-winners worldwide
He covered 177 mares last spring here in Australia at a fee of $77,000 including Stareel, the dam of It's a Dundeel.
Turning
14 this year, Stareel also has a weanling colt from the first crop of another
English Debry winner in Pour Moi (IRE).
