Emerging staying talent Dux is in the right order to give a strong account of herself at Riccarton on Saturday, but it will be her following southern start that connections have the highest hopes for.
The Waverley three-year-old will run in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes (1600m) ahead of her principal target a fortnight later, the Listed NZB Warstep Stakes (2000m) over a more suitable distance.
“The Warstep is the main one, the trip will be better for her as she’s an out and out stayer,” said Bill Thurlow, who trains the daughter of Tivaci with Sam O’Malley.
“They may be a little bit sharp for her over a mile on Saturday, but she has been working well and looked good when she left here.”
Dux broke her maiden over 2000m at her fourth start and then finished a meritorious fifth behind Ohope Wins in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie.
“She was very good and it didn’t surprise, we were confident she would go well and realistically didn’t think we could beat the top two of three but thought she could run in the first five,” Thurlow said.
“She hasn’t had the experience of the others, so we were quite happy with her.”
This southern venture has been planned for a while and Dux’s latest performance sealed the deal.
“The trip has always been on the radar, we thought we would have a go at the Oaks and then give her a bit of a let-up and have a go down there and that will be it for the season,” Thurlow said.
“She travelled down on Wednesday and has settled in well at Anna Furlong’s barn, everybody’s happy with her.”
Meanwhile, stablemate Frank The Tank will run in the fastinternet.nz Handicap (1600m) at Otaki on Saturday and a satisfactory performance will also book him a trip south.
“If he goes well enough, he’ll go down to Riccarton for the Canterbury Gold Cup (Gr.3, 2000m) and meet up with Dux,” Thurlow said.
Pee Bee Girl will bid to go one better in The Tele Otaki Maiden (1400m) following her debut second on her home course last month.
“She was good and cut in the track suits her, that’s why we’re sending her there and not Waverley, which will be reasonably firm,” Thurlow.
The stable will have two runners at their local meeting on Friday with Fool Me Once in the Stephen Marsh – Marsh Racing (1400m) and Into The Circle in the Andrew Forsman Racing (1200m).
The former was fourth when resuming over the course and distance while Into The Circle hasn’t raced since early December.
“Fool Me Once ran really well a bit out of her grade in a Rating 60 last time and she’s back to maidens,” Thurlow said.
“The other filly has had a jump-out and went really nicely, so they are both forward enough to go very well.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
