It’s A Dundeel has become just the fifth horse in history to claim the three year old’s triple crown by winning the 2013 Australian Derby at Randwick.
Having won the first two legs, the Rosehill Guineas and the Randwick Guineas, It’s A Dundeel joins Imagele, Martello Towers, Moorland and Octagonal as the only three-year-olds to claim the feat after today’s victory by five lengths.
It’s A Dundeel jumped well to settle at the back of the field but rider James McDonald never panicked as he allowed the race to unfold in front of him.
The slow pace was ideal for It’s A Dundeel, who cruised into the straight and ran past them all.
McDonald who recently received a suspension for overuse of his whip in a previous meeting, had no need to draw the whip today.
In the lead up, the bookmakers considered It’s A Dundeel’s victory to be a mere formality when he was $1.40 to win when the gates opened. Earlier in the week, the market for him opened at $1.25.
Trained by Murray Baker in New Zealand, it has been an excellent six months for It’s A Dundeel who won his first Group 1 in the Spring Champion Stakes seven months ago. Today’s victory makes him a four time Group 1 winner from just 11 starts.
After the race, Baker confirmed the victory as the most arrogant he had seen before being asked what his next plan for his star colt will be.
“Hopefully we’d get him to Melbourne in the spring,” Baker said.
21-year-old McDonald, another New Zealander, has risen to prominence in Australian racing after relocating from New Zealand last year to now be regarded as one of Sydney’s leading jockeys.
Winning the Australian Derby was bittersweet for Baker and his son Bjorn, whose stables are located in Sydney, after their superstar colt was the raging favourite for the VRC Derby in the spring, only to run a disappointing fifth.
Earlier, Peter Snowden trained Guelph won the first of today’s feature races by taking out the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes.
It was a big upset when Guelph rocketed home to win from Scandiva and Golden Slipper winner Overreach, who was the $1.40 favourite.
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