Dundeel

Dundeel (High Chaparral-Stareel, by Zabeel) epitomises class. Class is the elusive quality in a racehorse that makes them stand head and shoulders above their competitors. As a racehorse, Dundeel dominated with six Gr1 wins and now as a sire, he is showing his class through his progeny with two new Gr1 winners this season taking his career total to seven in total. A truly impressive figure for a young stallion.

Militarize become the sixth individual Gr1 winner for Dundeel when winning both the Sires Produce Stakes-Gr1 and Champagne Stakes-Gr1 in the autumn of 2023. The seventh Gr1 winner for Dundeel came late in the season when Dunkel (Dundeel-Kudamm, by Cape Cross) won the Gr1 South Australian Derby. Previously the winner of the both the Listed Launceston Guineas and Listed Tasmanian Derby, the three year-old gelding joins Militarize, Super Seth, Castelvecchio, Atyaab, Yourdeel, and Truly Great as Gr1 winners for the Horse of the Year.

“Whilst Dundeels stud record to date is superlative, an ounce of racing luck would make it so much more,” said Jon Freyer of Arrowfield Stud. “His daughters Hope in your Heart, She’s Ideel and Victoria Quay could all be Gr1 winners, while Entente and Elliptical were so narrowly defeated in Gr1s at Randwick. Those flip of the coin results would have elevated him to a strike rate comparable to his maternal grand sire Zabeel which is also up there with Danehill. Dundeel is “the top of the tree” with much more to come. His current two year-old crop may well be his best so far already having produced Militarize, Gr1 placed Townsend, and recent brilliant second start winner Celestial Legend.”

Dundeel retired to Arrowfield Stud in 2014 and his oldest crop are now seven year-olds. As at 1 May 2023, Dundeel has sired 24 stakes winners at a rate of 5.7% of his runners. Militarize comes from his largest crop with 171 current two year-olds on the ground, and if Dundeel’s history is any judge, there will be many more stakes winners from this crop who have yet to race. To date, Dundeel has had five individual stakes winners at two. To get any stakes horses at two ought to be a surprise given his race record and pedigree, and his achievement in this area speaks to the class he has instilled into his progeny.

Even more impressive is that three of Dundeel’s Gr1 winners won their first Gr1 race at two; the aforementioned Militarize, while Castelvecchio won the Gr1 Champagne Stakes and Yourdeel was rated the Champion 2YO in New Zealand after winning the both their juvenile Gr1 races. Dundeel’s other two year-old stakes winners are Let’rollthedice who won the Gr2 VRC Sires’ Produce and ran third in the Gr1 ATC Sires’ Produce and Irukandji who won the 2018 Gr3 Schweppervescence Handicap at two to become Dundeel’s first stakes winner.

Militarize (Dundeel-Amerindia, by Dubawi) has been one of the stars of the autumn. He won on debut in Sydney in February 2023, before running third in the Gr2 Todman Stakes at his second start. After a failure in the Gr1 Golden Slipper, Militarize bounced back to win the Gr1 Sires’ Produce and Gr1 Champagne Stakes to take his record to three wins and a placing from five starts. Dundeel has upgraded Militarize’s dam who placed in both her race day starts but didn’t win.

Dunkel (Dundeel-Kudamm, by Cape Cross) won on debut as an early three year-old, placed at his next start, then won four in succession including the Listed Launceston Guineas and Listed Tasmanian Derby. An uncharacteristic miss in the Gr2 Alister Clark Stakes didn’t set him back as he flew home at his next start to win the Gr1 South Australian Derby. A $40,000 yearling at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, he was on-sold at the NZB Ready to Run Sale at two for $100,000. His dam is a stakes placed winner in the South Island of New Zealand.

Castelvecchio (Dundeel-St. Therese, by Dehere) won on debut as a January two year-old, following it up with a win in the Listed Inglis 2YO Millennium before running third in both the Gr2 Skyline Stakes and Gr1 Sires’ Produce Stakes.

He rounded out his juvenile season with a win in the Gr1 Champagne Stakes. Back at three, he placed twice at Gr1 level in the spring, then won the Gr1 Rosehill Guineas in the autumn. Retired to stud at Arrowfield, his oldest progeny are yearlings.

Yourdeel (Dundeel-Miss Zapper, by Red Ransom) won on debut as a December two year-old, placed a couple of times, then won the Gr3 Matamata Slipper Stakes, the Gr1 Diamond Stakes and the Gr1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes in succession. He was rated New Zealand’s Champion 2YO for 2018/19.

Super Seth (Dundeel-Salutations, by Redoute’s Choice) won his first two starts as a two year-old before placing in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes. He improved at three, winning the Gr1 Caulfield Guineas and Gr3 Manfred Stakes as well as placing in the Gr1 Futurity Stakes against the older horses. He now stands in New Zealand at Waikato Stud where his oldest crop are yearlings.

From Dundeel’s first crop, the gelding Atyaab (Dundeel-Sylvaner, by Danasinga) won as a late two year-old in South Africa at his second start. It was at three that he thrived, winning the Gr1 Kenilworth Cape Derby and running fourth in the Gr1 South African Derby. At four, he won a Listed race and at five he won the Gr2 Cape Stayers to retire with six wins.

Winner of eight races, Truly Great (Dundeel-Truly Special, by Jeune) won on debut as a three year-old, before winning the 2020 Gr1 Kingston Town Classic as an older horse. Three of his eight wins were in group races and he earned over $1million.

And then there’s a Gr1 placed brigade… Gr2 winning filly Hope In Your Heart (Dundeel-Hayaat, by Montjeu) ran second in the 2023 Gr1 Queen of the Turf; Gr3 winner Entente (Dundeel-Nextess, by Stratum ran second in the 2021 Gr1 Metropolitan Handicap; Gr3 winner She’s Ideel (Dundeel-Ana’s Mail, by Anabaa) ran second in the 2022 Gr1 Chipping Norton Stakes to Horse of the Year Verry Elleegant and second in the 2021 Gr1 Tancred Stakes and third in the 2021 Gr1 Winx Stakes; Gr3 winner Elliptical (Dundeel-Marquise de Rossa, by Testa Rossa) ran in both the 2022 Gr1 Caulfield Guineas and Gr1 Spring Champion Stakes; Gr2 winner Let’srollthedice (Dundeel-Hannah in a Hurry, by More Than Ready) ran third in the 2022 Gr1 Sires’ Produce Stakes, and then there’s city winner Teewaters (Dundeel-My Girl Lil, by Not a Single Doubt) who ran third in the 2021 Gr1 Victoria Derby, city winner Hit The Shot (Dundeel-Tang, by Redoute’s Choice) who ran second in the 2020 Gr1 Victoria Derby, winner Let’s Karaka Deel (Dundeel-Tegwin, by O’Reilly) who ran second in the 2021 Gr1 South Australian Derby; and from this season’s two year-old crop, the exciting Townsend (Dundeel-Secret Admirer, by Dubawi) who has had only three starts to date, winning on debut, then he ran third in the Listed Fernhill Handicap, then third behind Militarize in the Gr1 Champagne Stakes.

As a damsire, Dundeel has had only two runners including Gr3 placed city winner Noah ‘n’ a Deel (Maurice-Double Deel, by Dundeel) which is a hugely promising start for him in this realm. With two sons at stud – Castelvecchio and Super Seth – his future as a sire of sires is also assured.

Bred and raced in partnership by Murray and Jo Andersen, Dundeel won on debut as an April two year-old in Auckland for trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman. As a spring three year-old, he was moved to Warwick Farm under the care of Bjorn Baker and won four races in succession culminating in the Spring Champion Stakes-Gr1. Back in the autumn, he ran fourth first up behind Pierro, then won three Gr1 races in succession: Randwick Guineas-Gr1, Rosehill Guineas-Gr1, and Australian Derby -Gr1 before taking on the older horses in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes-Gr1 where he finished second to Reliable Man. New Zealand awarded him their Champion 3YO title for 2012/13.

As a spring four year-old, Dundeel won the Underwood Stakes-Gr1, then in the autumn he had four starts, all in Gr1 company, for three placings then ended his career with a win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes-Gr1. In the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Dundeel jumped from the inside barrier and slotted in nicely behind the leader, Carlton House. Carlton House set a strong pace and the field strung out with Dundeel travelling two-and-a-half lengths in third. On the turn, Carlton House led by four lengths with Dundeel running into second. He sprinted after the leader, making great ground and with a furlong to go, he’d passed the runaway leader. Sacred Falls tracked Dundeel, but Dundeel maintained his lead to win by half-a-length with Carlton House three lengths back in third.

Dundeel retired with ten wins and five placings from 19 starts and earnings over $5.3million. Awarded the New Zealand Horse of the Year crown in 2013/14, Dundeel was also given both Australia and New Zealand’s Champion Middle Distance Male Awards.

It says a lot about the quality of Sadler’s Wells sons at stud, and the competition among them, that High Chaparral retired to stud at ‘only’ €25,000 in Ireland and $22,000 in New Zealand. A Gr1 winner at two, three, and four, High Chaparral was a stunning racehorse, winning ten of his thirteen starts including six at Gr1 level. He earned multiple Champion Racehorse titles and was given a Timeform rating of 132. At three, he won both the Epsom and Irish Derbys and the Breeders’ Cup Turf, a race he returned to win again at four to become the first horse to win the race twice. He also ran third in the Gr1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe twice. High Chaparral passed his quality on to his progeny, leaving four Gr1 winners in his first Southern Hemisphere crop. Such was his ability as a sire, that after four seasons in New Zealand (and one missed due to Equine Influenza outbreak), he returned to his owner’s stud, Coolmore in the Hunter Valley, standing in 2010 for $88,000. Unfortunately he died from colic in 2014 aged only 15, leaving 134 stakes winners. High Chaparral’s sire sons include So You Think (51 stakes winners), Toronado (33), Dundeel (31), Redwood (11), and the young sire in NZ Contributer (7).
Dundeel is the best foal for his unraced dam, who is a Zabeel daughter of Champion 3YO Filly and dual Gr1 winner Staring (Fiesta Star). Staring won the New Zealand Oaks-Gr1 and the Auckland Classic-Gr1, and left one stakes horses among her seven winners. Dundeel’s dam, Stareel, has left seven winners, led by Dundeel, as well as stakes placed winner of six races Twoeezy, and the winning dam of Gr1 placed winner Valalie and stakes placed winner Rockland.

With lines of Sadler’s Wells, Zabeel, and Star Kingdom, Dundeel is a natural fit for all the Danehill line mares in Australia. Of his twenty-four stakes winners, all have different damsires bar Tale of the Cat who features twice; Purrfect Deal (Dundeel-Our Kitty, by Tale of the Cat) and Transact (Dundeel-Rap Tale, by Tale of the Cat), and Jeune, whose daughter Truly Special has left both Gr1 winner Truly Great and his Listed winning full sister Truly Inspired. Meanwhile, Redoute’s Choice mares have left Gr1 winner Super Seth and five stakes placed individuals. When collated by sireline, Dundeel has left nine stakes winners to Danzig-line damsires, and two each to mares from the Green Desert, Storm Cat, and Kalaglow sirelines. Note that the last two are the aforementioned progeny of the two Tale of the Cat mares and Truly Special (Jeune). This breadth of success with different damsires shows Dundeel’s versatility as a sire. Note his two new Gr1 winners are out of a Cape Cross mare and a Dubawi mare.

“Dundeel was such an amazing racehorse and it is so exciting to see him able to impart the same talent and electricity to his stock. His likeness has also shone through in the first crop of his sons Castelvecchio and Super Seth for whom we hold great hopes. From a long line of dominant and superior sires these hopes are not unfounded,” said Freyer.

With superior class as a racehorse, Dundeel is now demonstrating that he is passing his class onto his offspring. The long list of his progeny who have been competitive at Gr1 level is impressive for a young stallion.