Dunaden turns historic double in HK Vase

Pearl Bloodstock Ltd.'s Dunaden followed up on his Group 1 Melbourne Cup

heroics with a rallying victory in Sunday's Group 1, $1.8 million Hong Kong Vase

at Sha Tin. Not at all inconvenienced by dropping down a half-mile in distance,

the high-class French stayer became the first horse to turn the Melbourne

Cup/Vase double. Dunaden was also the only invader to score on International

Raceday, with the other three Group 1s scooped up by Hong Kong's own flagbearers.

Ironically, Dunaden was trained last year by Richard Gibson, who left his

French yard to set up shop in Hong Kong this spring. It has fallen to new

trainer Mikel Delzangles to develop him into a globetrotter.

Australian rider Craig Williams, who was aboard for Dunaden's Group 3 Geelong

Cup score two starts back, suffered a blow when unable to ride in the Melbourne

Cup. Incurring an ill-timed suspension, he had to watch on the sidelines as his

erstwhile mount prevailed in an epic photo-finish with Red Cadeaux. Williams

received some consolation with a well-judged ride in Hong Kong, where he had

more of a margin to spare over Red Cadeaux.

Dunaden was nestled just about in midpack for much of the about 1 1/2-mile

affair. Mighty High carved out the pace before yielding that role to Jakkalberry

on the backstretch. Redwood stalked in a disadvantageous position out wide, a

tough passage that would ultimately take its toll on last year's Vase runner-up.

Jakkalberry continued to show the way into the stretch, when Thumbs Up came

charging and threatened to score a rare Vase win for Hong Kong. But Williams was

patiently threading his way through the pack. Finding an inviting seam, Dunaden

overpowered Thumbs Up and edged away by three-quarters of a length. By stopping

the teletimer in 2:27.50 on the good-to-firm turf, he extended his winning

streak to three. 

"He's pleased me all week and I thought I had the right horse for the race,"

said Williams, who kissed the camera in his enthusiasm. "We wanted to get him

close to the pace and running comfortably. It was courageous and it was a very,

very thrilling win for me in a big international Group 1, and especially on a

horse like Dunaden.

"He produced so much when I pulled him out, the hairs were standing on the

back of my neck some way before the line. I really love this horse."

"He is an amazing horse," Delzangles commented, "because it is

difficult for them to travel that much and yet peak at the right moment, twice.

To be honest I was not quite sure about his chances here because he was on his

own for a while, he worked alone and I had nothing to compare his progress to.

"I still can't believe it -- if anyone had told me in April when I started

training him that I would be here in December, I wouldn't have believed it. It's

definitely very important to me professionally.

"Going into the straight, although he had a perfect trip, I could not tell

whether he would win, and then he made his move and won easily."

Thumbs Up's jockey Brett Prebble was left pondering his effort.

"He probably had his chance, but ideally we needed something to cart him into

the race," Prebble said. "We were left in front a touch soon."

Checking in another three-quarters of a length back in third were the

dead-heaters Silver Pond and Red Cadeaux. Silver Pond had a hard luck story,

according to jockey Thierry Jarnet.

"The horse ran great, and we could have finished closer, had we not been so

unlucky in the straight," Jarnet said. "He was checked before I was able to find a gap. He

showed he's right up there with these good international horses."

"He ran a blinder," said Ryan Moore, who rode Red Cadeaux. "He had a beautiful run and finished it off even though the

ground might have been a bit quick for him.

Favored Campanologist had no excuse in defeat. Given a fine tracking ride by

Frankie Dettori, he wound up a one-paced fifth.

"He's a little bit away from being absolutely top class, I was surprised they

made him favorite," Dettori admitted. "He gave me his best, but that's probably as good as he is."

Japanese hopeful Trailblazer failed to factor in sixth.

"He didn't jump well from the gate, wasn't concentrating, and appeared not to

handle the surface," jockey Katsumi Ando recapped.

Jakkalberry, Mighty High, Super Satin, Vadamar, Redwood, Mr Medici and a

tailed-off Sarah Lynx rounded out the order of finish.

"(Redwood) didn't really fire today," rider Michael Hills said. "He was OK

until the race started in earnest around the turn, but when I asked him, he

didn't really fire."

Sarah Lynx's hindquarters were struck into during some early scrimmaging,

which could explain her lackluster performance.

Her compatriot Dunaden had no such interference while racking up a ninth Vase

victory for France, which has accounted for exactly half of the 18 international

runnings. French runners have also swept four of the last five.

Dunaden, who has compiled a 29-9-8-5 record and amassed HK$40,590,680 in

earnings, has come a long way from toiling in obscurity. A claimer for a time

earlier in his career, he plied his trade in handicaps for much longer, until

joining Gibson last fall. Dunaden then graduated to listed class. After taking

the Prix du Grand Camp at Lyon-Parilly and finishing second in the Prix Max

Sicard at Toulouse, he closed his stint with Gibson with a third in the Grand

Prix du Conseil General des Alpes Maritimes at Cagnes-sur-Mer on February 26.

Delzangles stepped him dramatically up in trip, and pitched him straight into

group company, in his first start for the yard. Dunaden responded with a victory

in the Group 3 Prix de Barbeville on April 30, his initial step on the road to

world fame. He has lost only twice for Delzangles, missing by a nose in the

Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier on May 22 and a throw-out ninth in the Group 2

Prix Kergorlay on August 21, his last start before embarking for Australia.

"He will go back home now and should have a well-deserved rest,"

Delzangles said. "I think he will

start next season pretty late in the spring. We haven't got a long-term plan for

him." 

Bred by Comte E. Decazes in France, Dunaden is by Nicobar and thus represents

the tenuous sire line of the Byerley Turk. His dam is the unraced Kaldouneeves

mare La Marlia, and his nearest notable relation is the multiple stakes-winning

steeplechaser Berryville.