The Pencarrow bred Chateauneuf Dupape (NZ) began his Singapore career in style last night with a bold fighting finish in the $65,000 Initiation Stakes (1100m) at Kranji.

Ridden by jockey Joao Moreira, Singapore’s leading jockey for the 2011 season, Chateauneuf Dupape (Darci Brahma x Loudenne, by Palace Music) won the race by a neck after a fierce battle with Isle of Arran (Dubawi) down the polytrack straight.

“He’s more of a 1400-1600 metre type and 1100 metres on the Polytrack is not his go,” said O’Neil.

“We put the blinkers on him to make him a bit sharper for the 1100 metres and he’s going to be better off when he gets back on the turf as well.

“I think we’ll whip the blinkers off him now and look at stepping him up to 1400 metres for his next run.”

A trial winner at Kranji over 1000 metres on 5 January, Chateauneuf Dupape is trained by Michael Freedman who also trains another son of the Pencarrow bred sire Darci Brahma in Super Easy who is unbeaten in five Singapore starts including the Sgp-2 E.W. Barker Trophy.

Bred by Peter and Philip Vela, Chateauneuf Dupape was a $310,000 purchase by BBA – Ireland from Pencarrow Studat New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2010 Premier Sale.

Beginning his racing career in Australia under Lee Freedman, the colt had three starts across the Tasman before being brought to John Sargent’s yard in New Zealand for a tilt at the Karaka Million.

Having just four starts in New Zealand as a two-year-old, Chateauneuf Dupape ran second in the Group 3 Taranaki Classic to Antonio Lombardo, beating subsequent Group 1 winner Distill, and ran third in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes.

A well-bred three-year-old, Chateauneuf Dupape is a half-brother to the Group 1 winner Insouciant (Keeper) and Group 3 winner Copper Mountain (Jetball).