Duais back for Autumn campaign

Three-time Group One winner Duais is likely to resume in Saturday’s Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, with Ed Cummings to be guided by her first-up run as to what the six-year-old mare’s preparation will look like.

Duais hasn’t managed a win since March 2022 but went close in a number of top races in the Melbourne Spring, placing at Group One level thrice and running an unlucky fourth in the Cox Plate, and Cummings says there are a myriad of options both in Sydney and Melbourne.

“There’s lots of options as usual, we’ll get through Saturday and see how she performs and that’ll inform what we do next. There’s options for her to go to Melbourne for an All-Star Mile, an Australian Cup, she could stay in Sydney, she could go straight to a Ranvet, she could go to a Coolmore at 1500, the Doncaster, the Queen Elizabeth, she could do just about anything,” Cummings said.

Duais, a daughter of Shamus Award, was bought by Yu Long Investments late last year as a future breeding proposition, but Cummings says the breeding giant have put no pressure on him in regard to when she may be retired from racing.

“They’ve given me no indication about her retirement plans, I think they are just as happy as I am that she seems in very good shape and they’re keen to see her back in the winner’s circle, as am I,” Cummings said.

Duais has finished near the rear in two trials under Tommy Berry leading into Saturday, including one at Hawkesbury on Tuesday morning, but Cummings said he’s pleased with her work and is happy with where she’s at and hopes she can find her way into the winner’s circle this campaign.

“Definitely. She deserves that.”

Nash Rawiller has been booked to ride the mare for the first time on Saturday, with Berry likely to continue his association with the Chris Waller trained Olentia, who holds the call at $2.40 all-in for the Guy Walter ahead of Duais at $3.20 and Hinged at $4.50.