Every now and again we are reminded that thoroughbred racehorses aren’t machines. They are individuals with their own idiosyncrasies.
Saturday’s Randwick Guineas (1600m, Group 1, three-year-olds) winner, It’s A Dundeel, is the perfect example. He may be the smallest three-year old colt to race in the upcoming Sydney Carnival, but he’s one of the best.
And It’s A Dundeel has the character to match his athletic ability; the sort of spunk you’d expect to see in a horse with Small Man’s Syndrome.
To most of the racing public, It’s A Dundeel’s signature move may be his killer last section or his remarkable ability to propel himself into the air to snatch a last-gasp victory.
But, as far as I’m concerned, I’ll remember It’s A Dundeel as the little horse with attitude. Because whenever he’s given me something to take away from the five times I’ve watched him race, It’s A Dundeel brought grunt with him to the track.
In the mounting yard on Saturday he did everything wrong. From the moment he entered the parade he began to sweat profusely.
Then he got on the toe like a boxer before a fight. After a few minutes, the girl strapping him was beginning to struggle to control the colt. He was ready to roll.
The coltish display gave me confidence because It’s A Dundeel did the same thing before his win in the Gloaming Stakes (1800m, Group 2, three-year olds) last spring. And it was in the 2012 Gloaming, that I learnt horses could fly!
But there are two versions of It’s A Dundeel. He doesn’t always bring the spunk. The first time I saw him – when he won by a nose in a lowly race at Canterbury last spring – he paraded lethargically, without a care in the world. And that’s how he raced – without energy.
It took the entire Canterbury straight for It’s A Dundeel to dispose of a field that was levels inferior to him. Racing second-up in Australia, the New Zealander was flat.
Yet, his soon-to-be-famous will to win was on show. Good horses are good horses because they win races they shouldn’t. And even though I wasn’t sure at the time, It’s A Dundeel is a very good horse.
On Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley, It’s A Dundeel was again subdued in the mounting yard. And this time he lost – for the first time – by two lengths, as an untouchable favourite. In hindsight, he had come to the end of his tether and was in search of a spell.
Super Cool, the eventual Australian Cup winner, got the better of It’s A Dundeel and the capacity crowd at the Valley was in shock.
But that loss looks pretty good now. It was as meritorious as Proisir’s close defeat at the hands of It’s A Dundeel on Saturday.
When the top three-year olds have met this season, the form has stood up. And I’ve got no doubt the Randwick Guineas will be no different as a future form reference.
This was a great race; one that was decided by the brilliant ride of James McDonald on It’s A Dundeel.
It was at last year’s Doncaster Mile meeting that McDonald, now 21, announced himself with a bellowing call as the jockey room’s next superstar. That afternoon he booted home four winners.
But his ride on It’s A Dundeel in the 2013 Randwick Guineas may be the one we look back on in 20 years’ time that propelled McDonald to ‘top-line’ hoop status. The 2013 autumn could be the scene of his break-out carnival.
McDonald has shown glimpses of brilliance in the last three seasons without properly fulfilling his potential.
Afterall, only last spring – at the same Canterbury meeting It’s A Dundeel won at – McDonald had a mount disqualified because he weighed in light after a race. He earned a two-week suspension for his indiscretion.
That was the worst of McDonald. Saturday was his best. With the benefit of McDonald’s perfect ride, It’s A Dundeel was never going to lose.
With the blinkers applied for the first time, the High Chaparral colt was not only up for the challenge (as we saw in the parade ring) but he was able to take up a close position, racing midfield (instead of near last) in the early part of the race.
But it was down the side of the Warwick Farm track that McDonald won It’s A Dundeel the race. He was able to get It’s A Dundeel off the inside rail and into the slipstream of Proisir.
When the field swung for home, It’s A Dundeel was less than two lengths off the lead – closer than ever before – and from there, he was always going to prove too powerful.
Proisir was fantastic in defeat. He beat Tatra (third) by three lengths and kept his conqueror’s winning margin to half a length.
He is on track for whatever Gai Waterhouse aims him at. If it’s the Doncaster (1600m, Group 1, Handicap) – and I suspect it will be – he will acquit himself well.
I think these two colts will meet again in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m, Group 1, three-year olds) on Saturday week and while It’s A Dundeel will start favourite, if he isn’t in the mood (and we’ll know in the mounting yard), Proisir is good enough to turn the tables.
Rebel Dane, the short favourite, was disappointing in fourth. He was ridden closer to the speed and couldn’t accelerate in the straight. Unlike It’s A Dundeel, he wasn’t able to adapt to different tactics and needs a more quiet passage from now on.
I think, with the right ride, Rebel Dane can be competitive in a Doncaster. But there are murmurs about a possible change of tack – namely, a freshen-up followed by a trip to Brisbane for the Stradbroke (1400m, Group 1, Handicap) in June. And because he loves a wet track, perhaps the more tropical option will be favoured.
Whatever the case, his next performance is certain to be in front of a bigger crowd than the 3,572 people that turned up to Warwick Farm on Saturday. It should be the last Group 1 meeting the south-western Sydney track hosts.
Crowds at the Farm have been dwindling at a rapid rate for at least the last ten years. The facilities are archaic and the people of Liverpool have stopped turning up.
If this meeting was at Randwick (which is in the final stages of redevelopment), a crowd of more than 10,000 would’ve been in attendance in such good weather.
It’s time ‘the Farm’ was limited to only hosting midweek meetings.
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