Training remotely from Sydney as Ed Cummings was required to do last year when Duais was in Melbourne for the Caulfield Cup was not ideal.
‘The brain computes what the eye can see’, were words drummed into Cummings by his grandfather, Bart Cummings, from a young age and are ringing true 12 months later.
Cummings has been in Melbourne overseeing the final stages of Duais’ program for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday.
“It was one of Bart’s old lines to us when we were young and coming up,” Cummings said.
“Once you figure that out you start to learn, and that learning opportunity is critical to any trainer.
“You know if they’re licking their lips after a gallop, their ears are pricked during a gallop, the small things that matter the most apart from how they pull-up in the wind and how they trot up on a Tuesday or a Thursday before they race.
“You are looking for those small intuitive, behavioural patterns in horses that indicate they’re ready to go and there is no substitute for being here to see that.”
While Cummings could not be in Melbourne 12 months ago, he was lucky he had the help of brother James’ Melbourne team, Reg Fleming and Sean Keogh, to look after the mare.
Duais won the Group 3 Coongy Cup (2000m) and backed up three days later, finishing 16th in the Caulfield Cup.
“There was no way she would have been able to perform in the Coongy if was not for those guys and we’re very thankful to them,” Cummings said.
“But we know Duais very well. We’ve known her from day one and knowing what it takes to get her to perform on the big day is critical to the lead-up.”
Cummings is expecting a vastly different performance on Saturday with the rise in distance to 2400m after what some felt was a disappointing run when eighth in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
Duais was ridden contrary to her normal pattern that day to make use of an inside draw and Cummings said it did not work in her favour.
“Every time she has stepped out at a mile-and-a-half she has run, the exception being the Caulfield Cup last year and I’m happy to put a pen through that as an aberration,” Cummings said.
While it didn’t pan out that day, I’m confident it hasn’t impacted her preparation and if anything, it was the run she needed to bring her into the right space on Saturday.”
