When Arrowfield boss John Messara turns up to a Thursday meeting at Hawkesbury to watch a $1.5million Dundeel 3YO go around it’s a fairly safe bet that it will be winning.
Trained by Les Bridge, Columbus was placed at his first two starts in maiden company at Newcastle and was stepped up to 1600m for this assignment with champion jockey James McDonald taking the ride.
Sent out a hot favourite, Columbus was momentarily held up after turning for home, but when he got into clear ground let down with some encouragement from McDonald.
The gelding raced clear to win by a length and a half doing his best work on the line.
Columbus is an Arrowfield blueblood being the second winner from two foals to race for royally bred Fastnet Rock mare Tides, a full sister to triple Group I winner Shoals and stakes-winner Groundswell from the Shantha’s Choice family.
Columbus was offered at Inglis Easter by Arrowfield and bought by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock / Alpha Syndicate for $1.5million with Arrowfield remaining in the ownership. He is the highest priced colt by Dundeel ever sold .
Arrowfield sold a yearling filly by Pinatubo (IRE) from Tides at Inglis Easter this year for $250,000 to Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock and she has been named Global Goal.
Tides has a yearling filly by Maurice (Jpn) for the sales in 2026 and was covered last spring by Castelvecchio.
