Shamus Award's Duais Primes for Caulfield Cup with Victory in Coongy

Mark Smith - Wednesday October 13

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.

Duais does best in a driving finish (image Pat Scala/Racing Photos)

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Next stop Caulfield Cup for Duais (image George Sal/Racing Photos)

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.

 

Advertisment

Race Result - Neds Coongy Cup Gr3 2000m

Caulfield Track: Good(4) Time: 2:03.28
1
Duais
- 4m Shamus Award (AUS) x Meerlust (AUS) (Johannesburg (USA))
Tnr: Edward Cummings Rdr: M J Dee 57
2
0.2
Wentwood
- 7g Pour Moi (IRE) x Desert Liaison (GB) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: Maddie Raymond Rdr: Damian Lane 54.5
3
0.3
Floating Artist
- 6g Nathaniel (IRE) x Miss Kenton (IRE) (Pivotal (GB))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: Teodore Nugent 57
4
1.0
Zayydani
- 5m Savabeel (AUS) x Ruqqaya (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy (USA))
Tnr: Ben & J D Hayes Rdr: Patrick Moloney 54
5
3.0
Pappalino
- 6g Makfi (GB) x Bartira (GB) (Cape Cross (IRE))
Tnr: Archie Alexander Rdr: Declan Bates 54
6
3.8
Secret Blaze
- 6g Sizzling (AUS) x Abscond (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: T & C McEvoy Rdr: L Currie 58
7
4.5
Double You Tee
- 7g Written Tycoon (AUS) x Kandy Korn (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: Patrick Payne Rdr: W Egan 55.5
8
5.3
Constantinople
- 6g Galileo (IRE) x One Moment In Time (IRE) (Danehill (USA))
Tnr: Aaron Purcell Rdr: Michael Poy 54
9
10.0
Sherwood Forest
- 5g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Chasing Mammon (AUS) (Giant's Causeway (USA))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: D Moor 55
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday November 21
Here is the full list of 32 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Million-dollar Hour for Leung at NZB Ready To Run
Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale.
Arkansaw Kid Brother Sells for $520,000
A well-related son of Harry Angel provided a late highlight in the final hour of the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday when he was knocked down to a $520,000 bid from bloodstock agent Morgan Carter.
Shamus Award Mare Duais in a Class of Her Own in Tancred Stakes
Tailed off last early, the 4yo Shamus Award mare Duais gathered her opponents in so quickly in the straight that Josh Parr had the luxury of standing in the irons, saluting the crowd over the final 50 metres of Monday’s $1,500,000 Group 1 Kia H E Tancred Stakes (2400m).
Oaks Heroine Duais Completes a Grand Day for Shamus Award
An incredible day for Rosemont Stud’s Shamus Award at Eagle Farm began with a nine-length winner, Incentivise, and ended with the Edward Cummings-trained Duais, the runaway winner of the $600,000 Group 1 James Squire Queensland Oaks (2200m).
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Duais Retired to Yulong
Edward Cummings released a statement on Thursday announcing the unfortunate news that his stable star Duais had suffered an injury and will be retired to stud joining the extensive broodmare band at Yulong.
Vale, Danny Champion
The thoroughbred racing industry is in mourning following the passing of respected horseman Danny Champion.
Churchill Colt Pulls Off Stunning Pinhooking Result at NZB Ready To Run
Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday.
City of Troy Crowned 2024 Cartier European Horse of the Year
Outstanding Justify colt City of Troy was crowned Horse of the Year at the 2024 Cartier awards on Wednesday night in London at a star studded ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel.