Red Duke to be tested for the UAE Derby on 31st March after taking a break for five months and then the 2,000 Guineas in May at Newmarket
The three-year-old Red Duke, the chestnut colt of Hard Spun out of Saudia, is being thought over for the UAE Derby on 31st March at the Meydan, in the Dubai World Cup Carnival, and then for the 2,000
Guineas at Newmarket on 5th May.
Red Duke raced six times in the 2011 season, and was able to win two out of those six starts.
His second career start was in the British Stallion Studs' EBF Market Cross Jewellers Maiden Stakes at Redcar on 18th June, 2011. He was entered as the 1 to 2 favourite for the race.
His next race was a success too, when he won the Group 2 32Red.Com Superlative Stakes at Newmarket on 9th July, 2011.
The 11 to 4 favourite of the race, Fort Bastion, who is under Richard Hannon’s charge, finished fifth under jockey Olivier Peslier.
The winning streak only comprised of two wins as he came third in the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes, held at Goodwood on 27th July, 2011.
Both the winner and the runner up were from the stables of Richard Hannon, Chandlery first, and Rockinante was second.
The Group 2 One Call Insurance Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on 10th September, 2011, had Red Duke finishing the track distance second after the winner. Yet again he lost to a Richard Hannon entry, Trumpet Major.
His last racing experience was the worst one as he finished eighth in the Group 1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on 8th October, 2011.
Keeping a target that comes after a gap of nearly five months without racing or contesting seems to be a hopeful sign for the trainer, John Quinns, who explained:
"He's been back in since the first week in December and he's cantering away now, I'm very happy with him at the moment and if all goes according to plan he'll be going out to Dubai to run in the UAE Derby on World Cup night.
The race is on March 31 this year, so he'll probably go out a couple of weeks before that and have a racecourse gallop or two”.
"We'll see how that goes, but all going well there, he'll then come back to Britain and probably have a crack at the English Guineas at Newmarket”.
It will be a stern test for Red Duke, who is coming off a three-race losing streak, to bring his A-Game in the UAE Derby, and take it as a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal, the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
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