Edward Cummings looks to have an emerging star on his hands in Duais, who has landed her second successive Group 1 win with a resounding performance in the Tancred Stakes at Newcastle.
Settling last in the field of nine, Duais ($2.40 fav) began to build momentum before the home turn before rounding up her rivals in a matter of bounds and spearing clear to score easing down by 3-1/2 lengths.
Stockman ($20) ran a bold race for second, a length ahead of The Chosen One ($13) with Think It Over ($6) fourth.
Cummings admitted to a few anxious moments mid-race when Duais was last and starting to be sooled along by jockey Josh Parr but he need not have raised a sweat as the mare backed-up her last-start Australian Cup (2000m) triumph with a superior staying performance.
“I must admit, getting to the 1000 metre mark I saw Josh just starting to niggle her along, she had switched off a little too well,” Cummings said.
“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.”
Cummings must now decide whether to test Duais over 3200 in the Sydney Cup or drop her back in distance for a weight-for-age showdown with Verry Elleegant, Zaaki, Montefilia and Anemoe in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
He believes the daughter of Shamus Award is good enough to do either.
“She is just a natural athlete, you can do whatever you like with her,” he said.
Eremein in 2006 was the last horse to claim the Tancred-Queen Elizabeth Stakes double, while only champions Kingston Town (1980) and Tie The Knot (1999) have won the Tancred Stakes and Sydney Cup in the same season since the former became a weight-for-age race.
Parr was over the moon to win his first Tancred and was moved to rate Duais as the best horse he had ridden.
“No doubt about it. She’s the most talented horse I’ve sat upon. She’s remarkable,” Parr said.
“You hear jockeys speak of having confidence in a horse and I’m starting to really respect that with this mare because she seems to just reassure me for every step of the way.
“Her turn of foot at the backend of a mile-and-a-half is just incredible and she handled them quite easily.”
James Mcdonald said second favourite Spanish Mission, who finished last, struggled in the soft ground while Nash Rawiller felt Think It Over also failed to handle the conditions.
