News

Money colt Duporth to take on US

1st Jun 2009

The Daily Telegraph - Ray Thomas - Tuesday, 2 June 2009

DUPORTH, the $20 million colt and one of the favourites for Saturday's Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm, could be set for the mighty US Breeders Cup series later this year.

Owner-breeder Peter Moran and trainer Anthony Cummings are considering the trail-blazing invitation to start Duporth in racing's unofficial world championships.

Champion sprinter Takeover Target, who is currently in England preparing for Royal Ascot in three weeks, has also been invited to compete in the series.

If both Australian sprinters make the trip, they will contest the Breeders Cup Sprint Turf at Santa Anita on November 7.

The only Australian galloper to run in the Breeders Cup was John Singleton's globe-trotting champion Strawberry Road, which ran second to Pebbles in 1985.

Moran said Breeders Cup organisers sent the invitation after Duporth's win in the Group One BTC Cup at Doomben last month.

"We are keen to go but need to work out the logistics of the trip," Moran said.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Duporth's sectional times when he won the BTC Cup were unbelievable and he beat a very good field. He defeated Apache Cat at his own game. I'm really happy that the Americans have identified the ability of this horse and also his breeding.

"He's by Red Ransom, who used to stand at Vinery's American stud and is out of Staging, whose sire Success Express won a Breeders Cup.

"If he could go over and become a dual hemisphere Group One winner, it would certainly increase his profile as a stallion."

Cummings said he was already considering how best to prepare Duporth for an American campaign.

"He'll go for a spell after the Stradbroke and then if we do go to America, I'll probably bring him back in and run in those big sprints in Melbourne in the early part of the spring to get him ready," the trainer said. "It would be a great experience if we do take him over there."

Duporth followed his BTC Cup with an unplaced effort in the Doomben 10,000 when inconvenienced by a heavy track.

Cummings said he was hoping for a firmer racing surface for the Stradbroke, as Duporth and stablemate Solo Flyer are more effective on top of the ground.

"They are both in very good shape for the Stradbroke and I think they will be hard to beat as long as we don't get a track that is too wet," Cummings added.