Horses for Courses – Sire Making Race?

Tara Madgwick - Thursday October 24

The Group I ATC Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) is run at Randwick this Saturday and while it’s not seen as a key sire making race as such, the 2012 edition did produce two exceptional stallions and one of them is set to have an impact on the race this year.

From last to first, Dundeel, or as he was known then It’s a Dundeel surged home for James McDonald to win in a great tussle over another quality colt in Proisir with both horses eventually retiring to stud.

Dundeel added a further five G1 wins to his resume and retired to Arrowfield Stud at a fee of $27,500, while Proisir never managed a G1 win and found himself in New Zealand at Rich Hill Stud, where he kicked off at a fee of $7,000.

Dundeel

Fast forward to 2024 and both are now leading sires with Dundeel commanding a fee of $88,000 this spring at Arrowfield and Proisir is priced on a par at Rich Hill on $80,000.

Proisir

Proisir is yet to have a sire son at stud, but Dundeel is already on his way in that department through Castelvecchio, who has a top chance to win the Group I ATC Spring Champion Stakes on Saturday with El Castello. Castelvecchio ran second in the Spring Champion Stakes in 2019 to Shadow Hero and then went to Melbourne and ran second in the Cox Plate behind Japanese raider Lys Gracieux (Jpn). He later won the Group I ATC Rosehill Guineas and retired to Arrowfield to stand alongside his sire.

Advertisement

The Anthony Cummings trained El Castello has three wins on the trot leading into his first G1 with each victory better than the last as the distances have increased. His dam is a half-sister to dual Group I winning stayer Fiveandahalfstar (VRC Derby , ATC BMW) and his third dam is a sister to Group I ATC Sydney Cup winner Crossed Swords.

Also of interest are two runners in the race for Dundeel in Henlein and Duvana, while the High Chaparral (IRE) (sire of Dundeel) sireline accounts for another three with So You Think’s G1 winning son D’Argento represented by three runners in Due Calzini, Flying Argento and Rag Queen.

Race favourite Swiftfalcon does not have a pedigree that screams 2000m potential, being by Exceedance from a daughter of Northern Meteor, but it might pay to look a little further back in the mix!

His grand-dam is Zabeel mare Hansuyen, who is a full sister to a pair of G1 winning stayers in St Reims and Champagne, who was second in a Melbourne Cup, so he’ll need to be channelling her input when he turns for home.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Mare in Foal to Home Affairs Tops MM Digital at $350,000
Impeccably related mare Taste of Heaven topped the first Magic Millions Digital Sale conducted today.
Kiwi Bred Evaporate on Track for Golden Eagle
New Zealand-bred gelding Evaporate will be seeking to pick up the biggest cheque of his career when he heads to Randwick on Saturday to contest the A$10 million Golden Eagle (1500m).
Waller Seeking Another Melbourne Cup
He may already have a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) win to his name but New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller says he still yearns to win the Flemington showpiece as much as anyone.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday October 28
Here is the full list of 24 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Waterhouse Bott Stable Secure Fresh Blood at Tattersalls Horses in Training
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott may well have won a Cox Plate and a Melbourne Cup this spring had their imported stayer Sir Delius (GB) not been ruled out following vetting scans, but the disappointment of that experience has in no way dampened their enthusiasm for the European product.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 29
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Aussie Bred Sprinter to Run in G1 Breeders Cup Turf Sprint This Weekend
Australian spring racing might appear to be the centre of the universe in our neck of the woods, but in the Northern Hemisphere this weekend it is all about the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar in California and an Aussie bred sprinter could be poised to spring an upset.
Long Legs Strides Clear At Rosehill
Coming out on top in Wednesday’s $100,000 ATC Tab Plate (1400m) at Rosehill, the Gary Portelli trained 3yo Russian Revolution filly Long Legs broke her maiden in the style of a filly destined for bigger and better races.
G3 Bendigo Cup Success For Australian Bloodstock Owned Sayedaty Sadaty
Ciaron Maher and Australian Bloodstock teamed up on Wednesday to win the $500,000 Group 3 Bendigo Cup (2400m) with 5yo gelding Sayedaty Sadaty (IRE), who will now need a weight penalty to force his way into the $10m Group 1 VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Zaaki Relation Gladius Tops Second Day of Autumn HIT Sale at 950,000 Guineas
The second day of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale was headed by the three-year-old colt GLADIUS at 950,000 guineas, one of eight lots to realise 300,000 guineas or more. International purchasers were again to the fore with buyers from Australia, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia securing the top five lots.