The dam of Arrowfield’s new stallion, the six-time Group 1 winner Dundeel, will visit the Stud’s flagship sire Redoute’s Choice this coming Spring.
Murray & Jo Andersen, breeders and part-owners of Dundeel, confirmed earlier this week their decision to send Stareel (Zabeel-Staring by Fiesta Star) to the champion son of Danehill.
Murray explains, “Redoute’s Choice is a great sire and sire of sires, and becoming an equally valuable broodmare sire, and I am very happy to support Arrowfield too.
“It’s an excellent match on type and on pedigree, as Zabeel mares have such a good record with Redoute’s Choice.
“I’d be happy to get a colt or a filly, but I’m really keen to have a Redoute’s Choice filly from this family for future breeding.”
The Andersens have worked with Dundeel’s female family for almost 30 years after purchasing his third dam Sweet Violet in the early 1980s. They bred and raced Sweet Violet’s daughter Staring who, like her famous grandson, won a Group 1 classic at three and then succeeded as a 4YO in Group 1 weight-for-age company.
Dundeel added the Randwick & Rosehill Guineas and the Spring Champion Stakes at three, and last Spring lowered the colours of champion mare Atlantic Jewel in the MRC Underwood S. G1.
His climactic Group 1 victory in last Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes has earned him a Timeform rating of 129, ranking him alongside past champions such as Placid Ark, Northerly, Makybe Diva and Sunline.
Murray Andersen says of Dundeel’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes triumph, “Without doubt it couldn’t get any better than that. The Australian stage is where we breed to race and winning the biggest race in our own backyard is a bigger thrill for us than winning overseas.
“We always wanted Dundeel to win the race for Arrowfield, they have so much confidence in him as a stallion prospect, and it has given his stud career the perfect launch.”
The Andersens have always operated as private owner-breeders from their Hawke’s Bay base, usually mating no more than a couple of mares each year. Their new status as stallion shareholders will only slightly change that long-standing strategy.
“We don’t want to be large-scale breeders, but we will be supporting Dundeel and we are currently looking for a small number of mares especially for him. We may sell one or two of his progeny, but we’re mainly owners so we want to race most of them.”
A recent UK broodmare purchase is Michikabu, a Grand Lodge half-sister to Irish Group 3 juvenile winner Luminous Eyes (dam of this season’s Australian 2YO Group performer Lumosty), from the family of champion Pilsudski.
While Murray is excited about Dundeel’s stud future, the memories of Dundeel’s racing finale won’t be erased.
He says, “It was magic, he looked the best I’ve ever seen him. Murray as trainer and Emily as strapper have done an absolutely fantastic job, James rode him brilliantly and Dundeel put up his best-ever performance. We simply couldn’t have wished for more.”
Dundeel’s 2014 fee is $27,500 inc. GST, and Redoute’s Choice will stand at a fee of $110,000 inc. GST.
