Randwick Guineas Review: The Real Deal

It's A Dundeel won the Randwick Guineas

It's A Dundeel is now a dual Group 1 winner after the Murray Baker-trained colt stormed to victory in the G1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) last Saturday...

The Randwick Guineas is a relatively new race on the racing calendar, last Saturday being just the eighth renewal. The race replaced the time honoured Canterbury Guineas normally run at Canterbury over 1900m as one of the lead up races to the Australian Derby at Randwick.

However the Randwick Guineas has quickly established a niche for itself, already proving a great incubator for future top line performers. For example, last year the race produced no less than four subsequent group one winners, Mosheen, Laser Hawk, Ocean Park and Moment Of Change.

Add to those Shoot Out, Captain Sonador, Kidnapped, Gathering, Metal Bender, Rock Kingdom, Weekend Hussler, Triple Honour, Sniper's Bullet, Danleigh, De Beers, Testafiable, Roman Emperor, Rebel Raider, Zabrasive, Shoot off and Headturner as other subsequent Group 1 winners from the race and it is not hard to understand why this race has become such a strong autumn form reference for punters.

The signs were there that It's A Dundeel was primed for a solid autumn preparation when resuming with a solid fourth in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill last time out, getting home hard late on a day where many runners found it hard to make up any ground on the leaders in the straight.

Second up on Saturday, rising to a mile with blinkers added for the first time, It's A Dundeel appeared to appreciate the conditions in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) conducted at Warwick Farm. It's A Dundeel settled worse than midfield, however was ridden confidently by James McDonald, the pair looming large upon straightening.

The High Chaparral colt struck the front just inside the final furlong and stormed to a half length victory over Proisir with Tatra three lengths away in third. In taking out the Randwick Guineas, It's A Dundeel became a dual Group 1-winning galloper in what was assessed as a career-best performance.

It's A Dundeel's latest success over arch rival Proisir yielded him a new peak Timeform figure of 123, one pound higher than his previous Group 1 victory last preparation in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), a race in which he also defeated Proisir.

Murray Baker's latest stable star has now deprived Proisir of a second Group 1 win. But both gallopers can be expected to find more in coming starts. Looking at the Randwick Guineas from a historical perspective, It's A Dundeel's success sits marginally above the five year winning average of the event.

Randwick Guineas winners during that five year period were Mosheen, Ilovethiscity, Shoot Out, Metal Bender and Weekend Hussler. All with the exception of Ilovethiscity whose career was cut short due to injury were multiple Group 1 winners.

Murray Baker will plot a tried and tested course with It's A Dundeel to next month's Australian Derby (2400m) with the colt's upcoming assignment the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 30.

It's A Dundeel joined Hotel Grand as the only winners of the G1 Champion Stakes in the Spring and Randwick Guineas in the Autumn, significantly his current master rating sits very close to the current five-year-winning averages for both the Rosehill Guineas and the Australian Derby.

The colt showed he has the necessary mix of stamina and acceleration over the Rosehill Guineas trip when claiming the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) last spring over Proisir. His next start will arguably be the biggest obstacle between It's A Dundeel and the 3YO Triple Crown with the galloper shaping as the standout in what at this point looks a below average crop of three-year-old stayers

This augers particularly well for a winning result in his main goal of the Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 13. It's A Dundeel has raced over the 2400m journey just once in his career to date when seventh in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington behind Fiveandahalfstar last spring. 

The kiwi raider was arguably at the end of his preparation having had six starts across two states and the colt had plenty to do over the concluding stages, but he still managed to break 60 seconds for the last 1000m of the race.

It's A Dundeel should be in a prime position to turn the tables on Fiveandahalfstar going into the race fourth up.

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