Leading trainer Caspar Fownes has declared The Duke's assault on the rich Asian Mile Challenge a fact provided he performs to expectations in next month's Group One Stewards' Cup, while the world's richest staying event is back on the agenda for Vengeance Of Rain.
Fownes said yesterday Hong Kong Mile victor The Duke was 'almost certain' to tackle the Futurity Stakes in Melbourne on March 3, the first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge and a race Fownes sees as 'very winnable'.
'As long as he runs well in the Stewards' Cup, the Melbourne race looks like a soft option to me,' Fownes said. 'I know the race and it's one The Duke could win and that would set us up nicely for the rest of the series. There's a US$1 million bonus for winning two of the four legs and I'm sure he's capable of winning either here in the Champions Mile or the Yasuda Kinen in Japan.'
Fownes is acutely aware that time is running out for the seven-year-old to take on these sorts of projects, but will stop short of running The Duke in all legs of the challenge.
'He won't go to Dubai - the 1,777 metres is just a touch far,' Fownes said. 'He's very relaxed and could probably run it but I just wouldn't want to put him through that, the extra travel and extra distance at that level of competition and take the risk of busting him for the other series races.'
David Ferraris said a lack of options at home would probably drive Vengeance Of Rain to Dubai, however, with the US$5 million Dubai Sheema Classic (2,400m) fitting his programme beautifully.