Caulfield Cup or Cox Plate for star mare Duais
Which spring feature Duais heads to will not be determined until after her performance in the Might And Power Stakes at Caulfield.
The Edward Cummings-trained mare remains in the entry for the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday week and the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 28.
But Saturday’s Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) at Caulfield will be pivotal in Cummings’ decision on where the mare heads.
In Cummings’s mind is her ability at 2000m, which may also stretch out an extra 40m, while he also knows Duais races well at Caulfield.
Duais won the Coongy Cup (2000m) in 2021 while at her most recent outing the mare finished third to Alligator Blood in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.
“The gut feel is she’s going to be really good at 2000 (metres), we know that’s her favourite distance, it’s her best winning distance,” Cummings said.
“The nature of a Cox Plate, high-pressure, 2000, it’s similar to the day she won an Australian Cup in a high-pressure race, and she really came into her own.
“It occurs to me that’s probably the right way forward but if we get any feeling or feedback that going up to a mile-and-a-half is a better option we will entertain that too.”
Cummings said Duais had taken the right steps since closing strongly in the Underwood Stakes at her most recent outing.
“She came out of it a lot better than she was even going into that race,” Cummings said.
“She needed a good clean-up run and she was probably a touch unlucky that day, but all things being told, it’s nice to see her back in really good form.
“It presents a really nice race for her to now springboard back into the kind of form we were accustomed to twelve months ago.”
Cummings said Saturday’s performance and feedback from Blake Shinn, who will ride the mare on Saturday, will determine which path Duais takes.
“As with everything, mares, racehorses this time of year there are so many options,” Cummings said.
“It will be based on performance and feedback from Blake after the run.”
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