It’s been a long time coming, but Dundeel finally sired a female stakes-winner when talented filly Victoria Quay did best in a driving finishing to beat the favourite Personal in the Group II VRC Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Victoria Quay won a maiden at Balaklava at her second start and then finished a good second in the Listed SAJC Hill Smith Stakes over 1800m on October 10.
Given a perfect ride by Jamie Kah, Victoria Quay tracked the favourite and proved too strong for her in the last little bit, forging clear to win by a neck.
“All credit goes to the team back in South Australia as she’s still a bit buzzy and needs to mature in the brain, so she does all her training back over there at home,” said co-trainer Calvin McEvoy, who indicated Victoria Quay was most likely to spell after her win as she is not in the VRC Oaks.
“She’s always been backward, more so mentally so the long range plan has been to target the South Australian Oaks next year.”
A $250,000 Magic Millions Adelaide purchase from the Rushton Park draft for McEvoy Mitchell Racing P/L /Suman Hedge Bstock, Victoria Quay has two wins and a second from four starts with prizemoney topping $208,000.
Victoria Quay was the sale-topper in Adelaide in 2019 and is the best of five winners from Danehill Dancer (IRE) mare Swan River, a sibling to Group II winners Count Encosta and Lieutenant.
Swan River has a yearling colt by Invader and has foaled this spring producing a valuable colt by Dundeel that is a full brother to Victoria Quay.
The 12th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud’s terrific High Chaparral (IRE) sire Dundeel, Victoria Quay is his first filly stakes-winner.
Dundeel stands at a fee of $66,000 and already has two Group I winning sons at stud in Castelvecchio (Arrowfield) and Super Seth (Waikato Stud).
