It was a stakes double for Arrowfield Stud’s Dundeel on Saturday with Matthew Smith’s consistent mare Idle Flyer capturing the G2 ATC Emancipation Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill while the lightly raced Stung won the Listed SAJC Matrice Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville for the Ben, Will & JD Hayes yard.
Continuing with her excellent second up record, the Torryburn Stud bred and sold Idle Flyer is now four from four second up, improving considerably from her first up fourth in the G3 Wenona Girl Quality behind Gangsta Granny.
Giving a winning tick over trial last week, the 4yo mare jumped away the race favourite with jockey Zac Lloyd positioning her mid-field as the Bjorn Baker trainer Perfumist (NZ) went to the lead.
When the home corner was reached and Dark Glitter challenged Perfumist, the pair were still in the lead with 200m to run but were quickly starting to fade.
Down the outside was the Rosemont Stud colour bearer Blindedbythelight (Shamus Award), but it was short lived as Lloyd had managed to come off the heels of those in front of him to chime in aboard Idle Flyer, pulling clear to win by three parts of a length.
With the $1m G1 ATC Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) on April 11 a logical target for the mare, Smith felt there was still improvement to come.
"Yes, that’s our next step. She’ll come on again I think, she’s a big mare now so that’ll bring her on again and fingers crossed in two weeks," said Smith.
“There's more improvement come from her and she will be at her peak in two weeks.
“She’s an outstanding mare, you just don’t get them like this very often.”
“Zac (Lloyd) was very confident before the race, how he was going to ride her. He put her exactly where he said he was, he didn’t want to be too forward. A bit tense at the top of the straight but he had plenty of horse under him. She’s a good mare isn’t she?”
A $70,000 Inglis Classic purchase from Torryburn Stud for Mathew Smith Racing and Randwick Bloodstock Agency, Idle Flyer runs for a big group of stable clients and has the overall record of seven wins from 14 starts with prizemoney of $578,425
She is the best of three winners from well-bred Street Cry (IRE) mare Progressive, a full sister to the dam of multiple G1 winner Tom Kitten and stakes-winners Va Via and Promotions.
Currently putting the final touches on their Inglis Easter draft of six, Torryburn Stud’s Mel Copelin was full of praise for the mare.
“I remember her fondly as a foal as we had three Dundeel fillies drop around the same time,” said Copelin. “Easily picked as being a Dundeel, her dam had ensured she had added strength behind with a lovely deep girth.”
“We’ve loved watching Matt and Mel Smith put her through her grades.”
“The dam has a belting colt by Newgate Farm’s Tassort on her and we purposely left her empty this spring.
“I’m looking forward to working on her mating and I’m sure Brett (Cornish) has already started. The mare has such a beautiful pedigree full stallions and blue hen mares - we will need emulate it again with a new stallion or go back to Dundeel.”
Idle Flyer’s dam Progressive hails from the Twyla branch of the Dancing Show family that has produced numerous G1 winners including Gathering, Desert Lightning, In Italian and You Wahng, so Idle Flyer has become a very valuable broodmare prospect for the future.
The current yearling out of the mare, a filly by Harry Angel (IRE), was purchased for $200,000 earlier in the year at the Magic Millions yearling sale by Broodmares Pty Ltd.
Less than 30 minutes later, 3yo Dundeel filly Stung started second favourite in the Listed Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville for the Hayes brothers.
Sitting in a mid-field position, the filly worked her way through the field late to chase down the leaders, pulling clear by a length and three quarters to record her third win, and first at black type level, from just four starts.
The sire of 40 individual stakes winners highlighted by nine G1 winners, Arrowfield Stud’s Dundeel will be represented by 25 catalogued lots for the upcoming Inglis Easter yearling sale which commences tomorrow (Sunday) at 11am.
Interestingly, the first Dundeel yearling through the ring is sure to create plenty of interest as the Newhaven Park consigned Lot 30 is the first foal of Vancouver mare Protea, herself a half-sister to the unbeaten Autumn Glow and G1 Golden Rose winner In The Congo.
