Queensland Oaks heroine Duais will head to Saturday’s $5million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) following a determined win in Wednesday’s Group III Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.
Ridden by Michael Dee for trainer Edward Cummings, the 4yo daughter of Shamus Award came from back the field to edge Wentwood (GB) (Pour Moi) by a head with the odd-on favourite Floating Artist (Nathaniel) a short-head back in third.
Patiently ridden, Duais and Wentwood made their runs together down the centre of the track after Floating Artist carried the field along at sensible fractions.
Duais carried 55.5 kgs and drops to 51kgs for Saturday’s 2400m feature.
“She pulled up very well then. I don’t think she’d blow a candle out at the minute, Dee said.
“She’s very fit and seems to have pulled up well. We’ll be ready to go in three days time.
“It is all about the barrier draw, and we won’t know until later on. If she draws a gate then she can position up midfield but if she draws wide then she’ll probably just take her usual pattern and most definitely be in the second half of the field.
“She’s got a great turn of foot, so she makes my job easy. She’s adaptable and doesn’t pull, but she travels nicely on the bridle, and she’s there when you ask.”
Also, the winner of the Group III Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick last season, Duais advances her record to five wins and four seconds, and a third from 13 starts with earnings of $887,965.
Duais is a homebred for Matthew Irwin and the Harris family from Queensland, who purchased her dam Meerlust (Johannesburg) for $22,000 at the 2009 Scone Yearling Sale.
Meerlust has two stakes-winners and a Doomben winner from three of her first four foals.
The first stakes-winner was the Casino Prince mare Baccarat Baby who won the Group III SunCTC Guineas and Listed SCTC Princess Stakes while banking over $500,000.
Consigned by Telemon Thoroughbreds to the National Broodmare Sale, Baccarat Baby was purchased by Spendthrift Stud for $650,000 and is in foal to first season stallion Dirty Work.
Duais is a direct descendant of the great racemare and influential producer Fanfreluche (CAN) the dam of L'Enjoleur, La Voyageuse and D'Accord and ancestress of Flying Spur and Encosta de Lago.
Meerlust has an unraced 2yo sister to Dasis named Amity Gal, but she had not had a foal before producing an All Too Hard filly on August 22.
Shamus Award stands at Rosemont Stud in 2021 at a fee of $33,000.
