Pencarrow Stud is celebrating the latest in a long line of Group One graduates after Dunkel (NZ) (Dundeel) scored a spectacular come-from-behind win in Saturday’s A$500,000 Thomas Farms South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville.

Ridden by Billy Egan for respected trainer Patrick Payne, the gelding came from 13^th in a 16-horse field with a powerful and sustained burst down the Morphettville straight.

He charged past Promises Kept (Cluster) inside the final 50 metres, surging ahead to score by three-quarters of a length at the finish line.

“When I left the straight the first time, I thought it was going to be easy – I was about fifth and one off the fence,” Egan said. “But when it was time to go, we’d got shuffled back, and we had to work our way through them.

“But he has that killer instinct. Every horse out there, he wants to pass, and that is what he did.

“The further we got into the straight, the harder my bloke tried, and when he sees a horse in front, he wants to pass it.”

Dunkel was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and was initially offered in Pencarrow’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2021, where Steven Ramsay bought him for $40,000. He then returned to Karaka later that year for the Ready to Run Sale, where he was knocked down to Kevin Myers for $100,000.

Dunkel has now had eight starts for six wins, a second placing and A$670,875 in stakes. He had previously won the Listed Tasmanian Derby (2200m) and Launceston Guineas (2100m) in January and February.

“He’s been an amazing horse, the way he wins,” part-owner Brendan Danaher said. “All credit to Patrick. He sourced the horse from the Ready to Run Sale in New Zealand, with the help of Kevin Myers.

“The horse hasn’t raced in two months. It’s just a sensational training job that he has done.”

Dunkel became the seventh individual Group One winner sired by former New Zealand Horse of the Year Dundeel (NZ), joining Yourdeel (NZ), Castelvecchio, Militarize (NZ), Super Seth, Atyaab and Truly Great.

The dam of Dunkel is Kudamm (Cape Cross), who herself won four races in the Pencarrow colours and placed in the Listed South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).

Kudamm has a perfect record as a broodmare, with all of her five foals winning races. Garfunkel (NZ) (Excellent Art) won four races, while Remington (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Mint Julep (NZ) (Darci Brahma) have collected five wins each. Marcolt (NZ) (Reliable Man) has three victories to his name.

Photo Credit: Jenny Barnes