BIG DUKE HEADS IRISH 1-2 IN SYDNEY
20 March 2017
Usually when it comes to the
Autumn Carnival in Sydney, there appears a few horses with Irish backgrounds
that find a new level, especially in the best longer distance events. Big race
winners in recent years such as The Offer (IRE), The United States (IRE),
Gallante (IRE) and Libran (IRE) spring readily to mind in this regard and
perhaps another to follow in those hoofprints emerged on Saturday morning at
Rosehill in the form of BIG DUKE (IRE) who gained the verdict in the Group 3
Manion Cup after an inquiry.
Head-on patrol replays showed
that nose-margin winner Our Century (IRE) – formerly Century (IRE) when trained
by Aidan O’Brien previously - had brushed BIG DUKE (IRE) off a straight line on
three occasions and the stewards reversed the placings. The Irish-bred one-two
came more than 12 lengths clear of the third home on a track rated heavy.
Luke Lillingston’s Mount Coote
Stud and Richard Pegum bred this five-year-old son of Kildangan Stud’s
Breeders’ Cup Classic hero Raven’s Pass who began his career in Britain as
Swashbuckling (IRE). Trained there by Michael Wigham, he was placed three times as
a three-year-old and won his only four-year-old outing before switching to
current trainer Darren Weir’s base in Victoria. Saturday’s was his second Group
3 success in Australia. The Group 2 Chairman’s Stakes on April 1 is said to be
the next target for BIG DUKE (IRE) before a shot at the Group 1 Sydney Cup a
week later.
The dam of BIG DUKE (IRE) is Hazarayna (IRE)
whose page received a huge boost last year as her half-sister Hazariya (IRE)
raised Harzand (IRE) to win both the Epsom and Irish Derbies. Late last year a
filly foal by Tagula made €16,000 at Goffs while a Redoute's Choice
yearling colt was purchased by Sam Sangster for €42,000 at the Orby Sale.