Two months ago, Dealer Principal was well beaten in a maiden at Canterbury, today he became a group one winner when he landed the $500,000 Group One Dubai Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

The zero to hero rise of the Anthony Cummings-trained Dealer Principal, is not dissimilar to the rise of his jockey Peter Robl who has continued to go from strength to strength since relocating to Sydney a year ago.

Yesterday Robl landed the Albury Cup onboard Luvuleo, 24 hours later he landed his first ever group one victory.

“The last twelve months has just exceeded any expectations I had. Anything I hoped I could have done I’ve done two fold. Everything has just gone so good, I’m having so much support from trainers and I hope it continues. It’s just been one long party the last 12 months,” Robl said.

Dealer Principal travelled sixth on the fence leading into the turn and as in previous races most runners shifted off the fence allowing Robl to push the Flying Spur gelding along the inside.  The pair headed Steel Giant (L Cassidy) and Kingda Ka (Shin) at the 150m and kept fighting to the line to score their first group one success.

Runner-up Kingda Ka battled to the line in a tough effort while the fast finishing Littorio and Largo Lad signalled their Derby intentions with top efforts.

The margins were three quarters of a length to Kingda Ka with Littorio a half length away in third. Officially fourth was Largo Lad. The overall time for the 2000m was 2.04.51 with the last 600m covered in 35.81. Dealer Principal paid $9.80 with NSWTAB.

Trainer Anthony Cummings was full of praise for Dealer Principal following the race.

“He’s just a very good horse, good ride, race panned out very much the way we expected, good barriers win good races, good rides win good races and certainly good horses do,” Cummings said.

“He’s always done it within himself. I think there was something left in the tank today.

“All the way, the chats I’ve had with Peter Horwitz are that I didn’t want to bottom him out at his first preparation. We’ve always been very protective of him so for that reason we haven’t bottomed him out yet, so the Derby is still on the menu.

“He has come up as quickly (as Hotel Grand) which is pretty unusual, I am pretty happy we have had two horses in that short space of time capable of doing that. I am just loving being involved with him.”

Although he said otherwise, Robl was not lost for words after dismounting.

“I’m overwhelmed,” he said.

“I’d like to give a special thanks to Mr Cummings and Mr Horwitz just for having enough faith in me to engage me for a ride in a group one race. I haven’t ridden a group one winner before and have had limited rides in group one races so I take my hat off to those two gentlemen for offering me the ride.

“Mr Horwitz rang me and asked if a had a booking for the Guineas and then on to the Derby, which I didn’t and he offered me the ride on Sunday and he said can you please let me know by Monday morning and I said I won’t need to let you know Monday morning, I’ll say yes now.

“We didn’t have to be in a panic early, he is only having his fifth start so we didn’t want to squeeze him out of the boxes and get him over-racing at his first go over ten furlongs, so I just came out over his neck and we had plenty of time to suck up behind Steel Giant. Everything else just went too perfect.

“It’s amazing when I got to the front at the 100m I was just waiting for something just to whoosh past me, but your praying that nothing does. The horse to his credit just kept giving and when you get to the winning post you just let out a big sigh of relief.”

Damien Oilver said that Marching's run for 13th was 'below par'.

Mission Critical was 13th after being prominent early and jockey Michael Coleman siad that the dead track was against the New Zealand Group I winner.

'It was too dead and it has been while since the Derby. He really needs a firmer track,' said Coleman.

Another of the New Zealand entrants Red Ruler (NZ) ran well for sixth, and left both trainer John Sargent and jockey Craig Newitt impressed as a lead-up race for the $1.8m, Group I, David Jones AJC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 26th.

'For the best part of the track he was on the wrong leg and not coping with it. I was able to wind him up but if they had run at a genuine sped I reckon he was anyone’s, but the stop start did not really suit him. But it really cleaned him up for the Derby,' said Newitt.

By Flying Spur out of the Marauding mare Volte, Dealer Principal is owned by P Horwitz, J Horwitz, P Clark, C Cassar, Diamond Thoroughbreds Synd(Mgr: M Clifford), P St James, G Kovacs, J Monden & C & S Tukuafu. He now has a record of three wins from five starts and has amassed $392,350 in prizemoney.