A trans-Tasman Group double by 3YO colt Elliptical and 4YO mare Aquacade extends Dundeel’s spectacular start to 2023.
Six of his 11 stakes runners since New Year’s day have won, taking Dundeel’s season tally of stakes victories to 11, and his career record of stakeswinners to 22.
He’s also had three impressive debut 2YO winners (Militarize, Fistsoffury & Tavs) and the first yearlings by Castelvecchio & Super Seth are building a solid platform for Dundeel as a sire of sires.
Elliptical, runner-up in both the Caulfield Guineas G1 and Spring Champion S. G1, opened his Autumn campaign with a storming finish in the $200,000 C.S. Hayes S. 1400m G3.
Co-trainer Anthony Freedman said, “We thought he was going well. He prepared very well but he drew very bad.
“We really just wanted him to be strong late and if we won that was great. So, to get up and do it points to good things.”
Those “good things” include a likely tilt at the $1 million Australian Guineas G1 on 4 March and the major Classics at the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Bred by Phoenix Thoroughbred Farm from the Testa Rossa mare Marquise Da Rossa, Elliptical was purchased for $380,000 from the Newgate Farm draft at Magic Millions.
Bloodstock agent Suman Hedge, who signed for the colt alongside the Freedman stable & Blue Sky Bloodstock and remains in the ownership, has subsequently bought another five Dundeel yearlings.
He signalled his confidence in Elliptical when he bought the colt’s weanling three-quarter brother by Castelvecchio for $120,000 at last year’s Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
At Pukekohe Park in New Zealand, Cambridge Stud’s home-bred mare Aquacade (Forest Of Seas by Sea The Stars) claimed the NZ$140,000 Avondale Cup 2400m G2 in commanding style and is now favourite for the Auckland Cup G2 on 11 March.
Trainer Lance Noble said, “That was something a little bit special I thought. She won well in lesser company last start and had come on well from that, but to see her do that in a quality field today is just great.”
Aquacade has now won 6 of her 12 starts and NZ$256,000 but her Avondale Cup prizemoney won’t be going to her owners. Brendan & Jo Lindsay announced immediately after the race that they would donate the $80,000 first prize purse to the Hawke’s Bay Cyclone Gabrielle Relief Fund.
