Dundeel Winners Bring Christmas Cheer

Media Release - Monday December 26

Dundeel had a new stakes-winner on Christmas Eve when six year-old gelding Truly Inspired won the Listed WATC  ATA Stakes (2200m) at Ascot and then posted a promising three year-old winner at Sandown on Boxing Day. 

Promising galloper Dunkel wins comfortably at Sandown Photo Credit: Bruno Cannatelli

Talented three-year-old Dunkel has plenty of improvement still to come but was able to score a relatively comfortable victory in the Frank O'Brien Handicap (1800m) at Sandown on Saturday despite giving favourite punters a few nervous moments.

The Patrick Payne-trained gelding was slow to begin and was awkwardly placed last on the fence when rounding the home bend, but jockey Harry Coffey was able to coax the best out of the son of Dundeel, who sprinted quickly after finding clear air.  

Bred by Pencarrow Stud, Dunkel ($1.60 favourite) scored by 1¾-lengths over Barefoot Tora ($18) with stablemate Hard To Cross ($5.50) in third.

Winning on debut at Moonee Valley over 1600m in October, Dunkel was a luckless second in the Cranbourne Classic (2025m) last start and shapes as a stayer of good promise.

"He's not quite there yet," Coffey said.

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"It was unusual in the early stages today. He wasn't brilliant out of the gates and I didn't want to rev him up because we had a long time to catch them but he was really unenthused and didn't really know what was going on.

"Once he got into the clear he let rip and did what he can do.”

Out of the stakes-placed Cape Cross mare Kudamm, Dunkel was a $40,000 Karaka yearling purchase by Steven Ramsay from the draft of Pencarrow Stud.

The youngster was then presented at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale through Ohukia Lodge, where he was knocked down for $100,000 to the bid of Patrick Payne, who sought the opinion of family friend Kevin Myers given he was unable to attend the COVID-restricted 2021 sale.- NZ RAcing Desk 

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Race Result - Frank O'Brien (Bm70) 1800m

Sandown-Hillside Track: Good(4) Time: 1:50.57
1
Dunkel
- 3g Dundeel (NZ) x Kudamm (AUS) (Cape Cross (IRE))
Tnr: Patrick Payne Rdr: H Coffey 59
2
1.8
Barefoot Tora
- 3f Magnus (AUS) x Medician Star (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: Carleen Hefel 52
3
2.0
Hard To Cross
- 3g All Too Hard (AUS) x Egyptian Cross (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: Patrick Payne Rdr: D W Stackhouse 60
4
2.1
Majestic Style
- 3f Vadamos (FR) x Royal Era (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: D Moor 55.5
5
4.1
Ghetto Supastar
- 3g Street Boss (USA) x My Option (AUS) (Danerich (AUS))
Tnr: Mick Shepherdson Rdr: Dean Holland 57.5
6
5.1
Amenophis
- 3c American Pharoah (USA) x Don'Tbabylon (AUS) (Reset (AUS))
Tnr: Mark & Levi Kavanagh Rdr: Beau Mertens 57
7
5.5
Bossa Nova Lad
- 3g Inference (AUS) x Road To Rio (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: Gavin Bedggood Rdr: Damien Thornton 57
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