Yourdeel (NZ) Completes Group 1 Double

Two-time Karaka graduate Yourdeel (NZ) (Dundeel) is now a two-time Group 1 winner, having stormed home from near-last for a brilliant victory in Saturday’s $225,000 Group 1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni.

Bred by Dan Myers, Yourdeel was a $30,000 purchase at the 2017 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale by Little Avondale Stud.

He returned to Karaka in Little Avondale’s draft for Book 1 in 2018, where he was bought by Chris Rutten for $100,000.

Owned by Rutten in partnership with John Norwood and Rod Preston, Yourdeel has now had six starts for four wins, two placings and $375,600 in stakes – almost four times his purchase price.

Yourdeel is the first horse since 2011 to win New Zealand’s two-year-old Group 1 double of the Sistema Stakes (1200m) and the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

“He’s really stood up and raised the bar,” trainer Jamie Richards said. “He’s quite an incredible horse. Big thanks to Chris Rutten and his fellow owners, they’re all getting a big thrill out of this.”

Ridden in both of his Group 1 wins by Opie Bosson, Yourdeel raced in the second half of the field and drifted back and had only two horses behind him rounding the home turn.

But Bosson let him rip down the outside of the Awapuni straight, bursting into contention and stretching out hugely impressively to win by a long neck from Aretha (NZ) (Charm Spirit).

“Once he got balanced up in the straight, he changed leg and really charged to the line,” Bosson said. “I actually dropped my inside rein and couldn’t get at him with the stick, so he did it all on his own. He’s a top-quality horse, and he’s going to be exciting as a three-year-old.”