Dragonne Rouge to take Dwyer back to top

By Glenn Davis

It’s been more than two decades since trainer Shaun Dwyer last tasted Group 1 success, but he thinks unbeaten filly Dragonne Rouge has the potential to take him back to the top.

Dwyer is hopeful Dragonne Rouge - an Andrew Mallyon mount - can continue her progression when she steps out for the $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on Friday.

Dwyer has trained two Group 1 winners, both with former star sprinter Regimental Gal whose last win at the highest level was in the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley in 2004.

Dragonne Rouge will be striving to extend her winning sequence to four in the Magic Millions National Classic following her dominant win in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes at Eagle Farm in April.

“She jumped so well in the Calaway Gal she could have easily led and Andrew said she began like an Oakleigh Plate winner,” Dwyer said.

“She’s the best filly I’ve got at the moment but she’s only a 50-50 chance of going on to the J.J. Atkins.

“Her main goal is the Magic Millions Guineas in January but there’s a possibility she could go to Melbourne for the (Group 1) The Thousand Guineas at Caulfield in the spring.

“She’ll need a break after this run and probably have two runs before Melbourne if she’s to go south. She relaxes so well I’ve got doubt she’ll run 1600 metres.”

A daughter of Dracarys, Dragonne Rouge was a $50,000 buy at the Magic Millions sales and has already repaid her owners nearly five-fold with earnings of more than $244,000 in prizemoney.

Dragonne Rouge is named after a French champagne and excels on rain-affected going.

“She loves the wet so much we should have named her Dolphin,” Dwyer said.

Dwyer returned to Queensland three years ago following a 13-year stint in Victoria where he reached the pinnacle of his career with Regimental Gal.

Regimental Gal won the 2003 Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast before going on to win the Group 1 Lightning Handicap and Group 1 Australia Stakes.

He also trained Miss Leonidas who was a five-time winner including the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint in 2019. 

Dwyer was one of Queensland’s leading trainers before he ventured south and had a big stable of around 80 in work when based at Deagon, on Brisbane’s northside.

These days the 67-year-old is easing down and is enjoying life and has a much smaller team in work at the Sunshine Coast.