Adelaide Cup Goal for Dunkel

Media Release - Saturday December 30

Quality stayer Dunkel lumped 61kgs to an emphatic victory at The Valley on Saturday in the Ladbroke It! Handicap (2040m), as the Patrick Payne-trained galloper notched the seventh victory of his career from just ten starts.

Perfectly ridden by jockey Billy Egan, Dunkel tracked the leader Grand Promenade throughout and was able to take an inside run when that runner lugged out rounding the home bend to score by just over a length.

Dunkel powers away to win the Ladbroke It! Handicap (2040m) at The Valley. Photo: Scott Barbour (Racing Photos)

Winner of the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) last season, Dunkel is being readied for a return trip to the City of Churches with the Gr.2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville on March 11.

Payne has said that fitness is the key to the New Zealand-bred son of Dundeel, who was able to race his way into fitness and still win as a three-year-old but is lumping big imposts as an open class four-year-old.

Advertisement

The gelding finished runner-up in a Kyneton jumpout a fortnight ago having finished second at Caulfield over 1800m when resuming last month when beaten by lightweight Let'srollthedice.

“He’s getting ready for the Adelaide Cup so we didn’t need to be rushing back to the races, we just had to work on his fitness level a little bit,” Payne said.

Jockey Billy Egan was aware the stayer had taken good improvement from the first-up run and jumpout.

“It was a really good win today,” Egan said. “The race worked out quite nicely. We didn’t want to give them too much of a head start with the big weight and it was just a matter of getting the runs at the top of the straight.

“He has certainly taken really good fitness (from the first-up run). The other day he came out and built into the race and just peaked on his run not long after entering the straight. He probably just maintained that gallop to the line.

“Today, even though he had a very cruisy run in behind them, he sprinted quite well and he was very good through the line. He was getting away from them.

“I certainly think an Adelaide Cup would be right up his alley.”

Dunkel has finished outside the top two only once, when ninth in the Gr.2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at The Valley last March.

He bounced back eight weeks later to win the South Australian Derby with Egan in the saddle.

Dunkel was bred by Sir Peter Vela’s Pencarrow Thoroughbreds and is out of the Cape Cross mare Kudamm.

A four-time winner and placed in the Listed South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), Kudamm is the dam of five winners from five foals to race.

In addition to Dunkel, Kudamm’s progeny include Mint Julep (5 wins), Remington (5 wins), Garfunkel (4 wins) and Marcolt (3 wins).

Dunkel was a $40,000 purchase from Pencarrow Stud’s Book 1 yearling draft at Karaka 2021 by Steven Ramsay.

Presented at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale later that year through the Ohukia Lodge draft, Dunkel was purchased by Central Districts trainer Kevin Myers for $100,000 on behalf of long-time family friend Payne. - NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Ladbroke It! (Bm100) 2040m

Moonee Valley Track: Good(4) Time: 2:08.40
1
Dunkel
- 4g Dundeel (NZ) x Kudamm (AUS) (Cape Cross (IRE))
Tnr: Patrick Payne Rdr: W Egan 61
2
1.3
Independent Road
- 7g Declaration Of War (USA) x Malibu Road (USA) (Malibu Moon (USA))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: M J Dee 53
3
1.4
Grand Promenade
- 8g Champs Elysees (GB) x Zacchera (GB) (Zamindar (USA))
Tnr: Shane Jackson Rdr: H Coffey 60
4
1.9
Tycoon Bec
- 7m Written Tycoon (AUS) x Morganza (GB) (Singspiel (IRE))
Tnr: Matthew Cumani Rdr: Carleen Hefel 51.5
5
2.1
Monbaher
- 6g Muhaarar (GB) x Seagull (IRE) (Sea The Stars (IRE))
Tnr: Matthew Cumani Rdr: C Newitt 54.5
6
2.4
Stars Of Carrum
- 8g Fiorente (IRE) x Signoret (AUS) (Anabaa (USA))
Tnr: R E Laing Rdr: D Moor 53.5
7
3.1
Skelm
- 9g Animal Kingdom (USA) x Lajoie (AUS) (Spinning World (USA))
Tnr: T D Kelly Rdr: D Yendall 57
More Reading...
William Haggas Trained Lake Forest Triumphs in Golden Eagle
William Haggas is playing his part in keeping the UK economy afloat, taking home a further $5,250,000 after Lake Forest (GB) won an action-packed James Squire Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill.
Invincible Mares Quinella G3 Furphy Sprint
The first foal of triple Group I winning mare Shoals, blueblood I Am invincible mare Isthmus has been threatening to win a stakes race this year and got the job done when charging clear to score a dominant victory in the Group III VRC Furphy Sprint (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday over another I Am Invincible mare in Kundalini.
Bravo Centurion - How Good is He?
Ridden by Chris Parnham for Luke Fernie, Bravo Centurion stretched his winning run to six, making every post a winner to defeat Saloon Bar (Sessions) by a long three and three-quarter lengths with Crippalenko (Maschino) a half-length back in third.
Dunkel Pulls It Out of the Fire In Tasmanian Derby
Supporters of Dunkel went straight to the bar after the odds-on favourite threaded the needle in the straight to claim the $150,000 Listed Schweppes Tasmanian Derby (2200m) at Hobart on Friday.
Back to Back Victoria Derby Winners for Triple Crown Hero American Pharoah
The Watson family owned South Australian nursery Mill Park is a name synonymous with serious Group I horses and in particular those bred by astute breeder Harry Perks and this winning association struck for a third time in the $2million Group I VRC Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday when Goldrush Guru saluted to join previous winners they have produced in Rebel Raider and Warning.
Dunkel Gets The Job Done in Launceston Guineas
Favourite backers were in a cold sweat as long odds-on favourite Dunkel needed the length of the straight to run down the lone filly in the race, Soul Choice, in Friday night’s Listed Kevin Sharkie Launceston Guineas (2100m).
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 2
Here is the full list of 137 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Karaka Graduate - Dundeel 3YO Wins Again at Flemington
All eyes were on Dunkel in the Stud and Stable Staff Awards Handicap (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday, and the hottest favourite of the day duly delivered – but not without giving his supporters some nervous moments along the way.
Switzerland Wins the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes for Coolmore
After Coolmore’s $875,000 I Am Invincible colt Home Affairs captured the Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2021, it was the turn of the $1,500,000 Snitzel colt Switzerland to do the sponsor proud in the $2,000,000 Group 1 feature at Flemington on Saturday.
Pencarrow Stud Graduate Dunkel Salutes at Caulfield
The opening race at Caulfield on Saturday was named in honour of an iconic New Zealand-bred champion, and it was fitting that Dunkel won it with some of the stamina and toughness that top-flight Kiwi stayers are renowned for.