Rebel Dane became the eighth first-season sire to put a stakes winner on the board in Australia when the Matthew Dunn-trained Subterranean nosed out the favourite Ranch Hand in Saturday’s Group III Ken Russell Memorial at the Gold Coast.
Under a perfectly timed ride by Nash Rawiller, Subterranean came down the centre of the track to defeat the Fastnet Rock colt Ranch hand by nose with the Star Witness filly Rhapsody Rose a long-neck back in third.
One of 28 live foals from the first crop of Rebel Dane, Subterranean advanced his record to two wins and three thirds from six starts with earnings of $191,700.
A homebred for Steve Grant and Kenny Lowe, Subterranean is the first foal of the former Darley colour-bearer Caves. The daughter of Bernardini (USA) won once for Anthony Freedman before being sold at the 2013 Inglis August Thoroughbred Sale, where trainer Danny Curran purchased her for $4,500.
In a 57 start career, she had four wins and 21 placings with earnings of over $97,000.
The dam of Caves, From The Cellar (Hennessy), won four of her 24 starts, including a pair at Canterbury for Guy Walter.
Caves has a yearling colt by Rebel Dane and a weanling colt by Smart Missile. She was covered by Sooboog last spring.
After beginning at a fee of $12,500 at Swettenham Stud, Rebel Dane had an advertised fee of $5,000 at Glen Eden Stud in 2020. The dual Group 1 winning son of California Dane had just seven live foals in his 2019 crop and covered 14 mares last spring.
