Kiwi It’s A Dundeel stamped himself among the top echelon of three year olds’ by winning his second Group 1 with a dominant win in the 1 $550,000 Hyland Race Colours Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Warwick Farm today.
It's A Dundeel scored his second Group 1 win in the Randwick Guineas. Photo by: Steve Hart
It‘s A Dundeel with James McDonald aboard was too strong for the Gai Waterhouse trained Proisir as he was in winning the Group 1 $400,000 Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick last Spring.
Racing with the blinkers on for the first time, McDonald was able to have It’s A Dundeel within striking distance coming to the home turn and after easing out from behind Proisir moved away from that colt in the run to the line.
It’s A Dundeel had been under the care of Bjorn Baker in the lead up to the Randwick Guineas but Baker’s father Murray arrived from New Zealand on Thursday to put the finishing touches on his top class three year old.
“I hadn’t seen him for a month and I thought he looked terrific when I saw him on Thursday afternoon,” Baker said.
“He’s very strong, he’s not a big horse but he’s starting to furnish now. And he made that long sustained run today and once he got to the front they weren’t going to pull him back.”
Baker will move forward with his eyes set on the Group 1 $500,000 M. J. Bale Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 30 and the Group 1 $1.5m David Jones Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 13.
“Just the three year old races, keep him to his own age,” Baker said.
It’s A Dundeel was having his second run this time in after finishing fourth to Pierro in the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on March 2 and McDonald said that the improvement he took out of that first up run and the addition of the blinkers combined to help him win today.
“He’s unbelievable,” an excited McDonald said.
“It’s really important for him to get that Group 1 over a mile and he stems himself as a top class horse. And it showed how much improvement he took out of his first run and those blinkers they worked a treat.”
It’s A Dundeel started at $6.50 holding Proisir ($3.50) by half a length on the line with Tatra ($26) holding on for third after setting the pace.
Favourite Rebel Dane ($2.80) was ridden a lot closer to the pace today after jumping well but was unable to produce his characteristic finishing burst and wound up in fourth spot.
