Teetan hopes Duke can lord it over his Challenge Cup rivals

Duke Wai
Karis Teetan returns aboard Duke Wai following their last-start success.

Karis Teetan returns from a two-meeting suspension this Sunday (1 December) and is looking forward to reuniting with Duke Wai (120lb) in the Class 3 Peninsula Golden Jubilee Challenge Cup Handicap (1000m).

The Mauritian combined with the Paul O’Sullivan-trained galloper to score an impressive last-to-first win down the Sha Tin straight earlier this month, overhauling the speedy Lucky More, who has since franked that performance with a comfortable wide margin win.

“The form is standing up pretty good,” Teetan said. “Lucky More was on debut and he burned out with a few horses challenging him but he’s a very good horse and from that form you would have to give my horse a chance again.”

The Per Incanto gelding has won twice from six attempts and Teetan is expecting him to hold his form on Sunday afternoon, even if he is tardy out of the gates.

“He actually didn’t miss the start – he was just slow out of the gates and he wouldn’t go with them,” he said of that latest effort.

“I couldn’t chase them the whole way so I had to let him find his momentum and I was impressed – he let down so well with such a big weight – it was an impressive win.”

Duke Wai grabbed third on resumption this season before his eye-catching success last start, which Teetan credits to an added gear change.

“The run before he won went ok, then of course Paul (O’Sullivan) put the blinkers on and it must have done the trick,” the Mauritian said.

Teetan is confident Duke Wai will handle the rise to Class 3 at his first attempt, following a seven-point ratings rise.

“I think there is a lot of improvement still to come, I trialled him last week and he felt very good – he feels like a nice horse underneath you,” the rider said.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments