Warmed-up Duke ready for Nigel B Nunes Memorial

DUKE NEEDED a little greasing, coming off a near four-month break before engaging an improved A GIFT FROM BEN and a sleeper, FREEDOM STREET, who exploded along the rail midway the stretch run to grab the lead and power home under bustling Roger Hewitt in the Vassel ‘Jollyman’ Najair Memorial at five and a half furlongs two Sundays ago.

However, like any seven-year-old off a lay-up, DUKE was a step too slow coming off the break, closing too late inside the final half-furlong, after FREEDOM STREET had flown the coup, running past A GIFT FROM BEN.

Returning not badly drawn at stall six Saturday’s Nigel B Nunes Memorial, DUKE has the advantage of dangerous speedsters A GIFT FROM BEN, MADELYN’S SUNSHINE, and CATABA to his inside, which should set off a cavalry change among the quartet for higher ground, leaving the grey with a clear path for his charging run in mid-track.

Fortunately for DUKE, bar LUKSOL, there isn’t any other possible holding speed on his outside to take advantage of the track bias. Though he had worked really well for his last race, LUKSOL was oddly chased off the lead by CATABA, who helped set up a cracking pace for stablemate FREEDOM STREET to pounce.

Reporting with the run under his girth, seven-year-old DUKE is technically out-of-class in overnight allowance, having easily dismissed EAGLE ONE and POWER RANKING at the level in May, placing against open-allowance runners in his next two races before going on ‘summer break’ in June.

Though DUKE got rolling late inside the last half-furlong on the round course, treat that outing as a warm-up for the Nunes Memorial. Gary Subratie’s confidence is shown in his choice of rider, veteran Allen Maragh at topweight 126lb, instead of calling in a claiming rider to shed a few pounds.

DUKE’s summer break satisfied the conditions of him returning down in class despite using near topweight to finish third, ahead of fourth-place RUNAWAY ALGO at 1000 metres straight, when beaten by EMPEROROFTHECATS and super-fit YELLOWSTONE after beating overnight-allowanced company 20 days earlier.

Allowing RUNAWAY ALGO weight on his next outing, DUKE tried chasing the speedy United States-bred, who showed his preference for middle-distance races with a 12-length win at seven furlongs. Relegated to fourth close home, DUKE had passed the half-mile marker three lengths behind RUNAWAY ALGO and straightened six off the speedsters 58.4 for five furlongs.

It was that sort of performance by RUNAWAY ALGO and others lurking in open allowance that sent DUKE on holidays in June, awaiting fair weather on a get-out-of-jail card, popping up in the Vassel ‘Jollyman’ Najair Memorial two Sundays ago.