Tancred Stakes (Group 1)

FRESH from her Australian Cup victory, Duais underlined her class with an impressive win in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes at Newcastle on Monday.

The two Group 1s were run on Monday after the Saturday card at Rosehill was abandoned due to rain and heavy going.

Settled at the tail of the nine-horse field by Josh Parr, Duais brought herself into the race inside the final 800 metres of the 2,400-metre Group 1.

Cruising around the field, the Shamus Award filly was the widest runner into the straight, quickly rounding up the leaders before careering away to a four-length win from the Tavistock gelding Stockman and the Savabeel horse The Chosen One.

Duais’ win matches that of the three-time Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, the pair the only mares or fillies to complete the Australian Cup-Tancred Stakes double.

“I must admit, getting to the 1,000 metre mark I saw Josh just starting to niggle her along, she had switched off a little too well,” said Edward Cummings, the fourth member of his famous family to win the Tancred Stakes.

“She is a very special filly. The world is her oyster at the moment. What we do next is still up in the air, but on the ease of that win, you’d have to say she’s got at least one more (run) in her and then she can take her pick in the spring.”

Two entries

Duais holds two entries for Day 2 of The Championships at Randwick on April 9th, the Sydney Cup, for which she is weighted at 51kgs, as well as the A$4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Cummings must soon settle on which Group 1 to tackle; the 3,200 metres of the Cup, or the 2,000 metres against Anamoe, Verry Elleegant and Zaaki.

“She could do either, you only get 51 in the Sydney Cup once, but the Queen Elizabeth is tempting. She is such a natural athlete and stayer. She is my Kipchoge,” added Cummings in reference to the star Kenyan marathon runner.

Fangirl lands Vinery for Waller

Vinery Stud Stakes (Group 1)

THE Chris Waller-trained pair of Fangirl and Hinged streeted their 12 other rivals to fight out the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes over 1,850 metres at Newcastle on Monday.

Racing in the cerise of the Ingham family, the homebred Fangirl prevailed, the Sebring filly finishing a neck the good of the Worthy Cause filly. Five lengths away in third was the Tarzino filly Gypsy Goddess.

“They are very special,” said Waller of the Ingham’s cerise colours.

“They brought me to tears a few times, I have matured a little bit since the early days when they came to me without a Group 1 winner. Japonisme won a (2015) Coolmore (Stud Stakes), and this filly,” said Waller.

“There hasn’t been too many but a great family to train for and they’re back in the big time.”

Praise

Waller was also quick to praise Racing New South Wales to find an option for such an important meeting.

“Great idea to bring the races to Newcastle, we’ve got some great tracks in Sydney but this has really shown its worth and (I’d be) probably suggesting some investment in Sydney to get something similar because it’s such an important time of the year to be running good horses on good tracks,” emphasised Waller of the strathayr surface that Newcastle races on.

“It brings the best formlines out in my opinion.”