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Michael Costa-trained Puurfect Deel takes out Thursday’s Grafton Cup 

Arrowfield Stud’s Dundeel (High Chaparral) notched up stakes winner number 14, and his sixth this season, when Purrfect Deel (4 m ex Our Kitty by Tale Of The Cat) won the Grafton Cup (Listed, 2350m) on Thursday. 

Ridden by Ben Thompson, Puurfect Deel tracked the leader, Spencer (Pierro), and then took the lead on straightening. She then ran on in the straight and held off the challenges on either side in the closing stages to score by a neck from Laure Me In (Ad Valorem) with a nose further back to Parry Sound (Pierro) in third. 

"I've dreamt of winning this race for about thirteen years, so it is very emotional," Costa told Sky Racing.

"It was a great place to live for about a year and a half, so it was like a home ground grand final today.

"She is just so tough. She had to do a little bit early and probably got to the wrong part of the track and had to get going a bit early.

Bred by Michael Hadley's Balance Thoroughbreds, Puurfect Deel was bought for $30,000 by CInque Cavalli from the draft of Middlebrook Valley Lodge at the 2017 Inglis Australian Broodmare and Weanling Sale before being bought the following year by her trainer and New Breed Racing at the Classic Yearling Sale when offered by Cinque Cavalli. She has now won seven times and placed twice from 11 starts, winning almost $240,000. 

Puurfect Deel is out of the Group Three placed New Zealand-bred Tale Of The Cat (Storm Cat) mare Our Kitty who has produced six other winners with the daughter of Dundeel being the mare’s first stakes winner. Our Kitty was retired from breeding in 2018. 

Dundeel will stand for a fee of $66,000 (inc GST) this spring.