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Geelong Classic to King Cugat's Captain Duffy

Mark Smith - Wednesday October 19

The Phillip-Stokes-trained Captain Duffy raced himself into Victoria Derby calculations following an impressive performance in Wednesday's Listed Geelong Classic (2200m).

Caught three wide facing the breeze for the majority of the trip under Noel Callow, Captain Duffy wrestled the lead off the favourite Theanswermyfriend before the home turn. Despite a torrid trip, the son of King Cugat stubbornly refused to yield in the closing stages to defeat Hollywood Mo ($19) by one and a quarter length with Pretty Punk ($4.40) a short head away third. (photo Darryl Sherer). 


It was the first stakes win for Captain Duffy and just his second overall after a maiden over 1200m at Mornington last season.

"It's the first time I've been on his back but he can stay," Callow said. "I spoke to (trainer) Phillip (Stokes) this morning and the plan was to go forward from the outside gate.

"They weren't going hard , I didn't get there on my own terms but what do you expect with fifteen inside you."

"I made my move early without doing a lot and he gave me a good kick in the straight.

"He can stay. You can get really good years and really bad years with the Derby but he'll stay all day."

 Bred by Barree Stud, Captain Duffy is a homebred for Sean Buckley of Miss Andretti and Shamus Award fame and is the second foal of the Encosta de Lago mare Miss Encosta.

Herself a $490,000 Inglis Premier yearling, Miss Encosta was unplaced in all four of her race starts.

She is a half-sister to the Listed Fulham Plate winner Mighty Raja (Devaraja) and the Group III placed, 7-time winner Grace and Power (Baryshnikov).  

Miss Encosta has a 2yo filly by King Cugat and was covered last season by Shamus Award having slipped her Trusting foal in 2014.

One of just four named foals from King Cugat's 2013 crop, Captain Duffy becomes his sire's 2ist stakes-winner. 
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