STRAIT ACER BACK AFTER SHORT BREAK

MONDAY: September 25, 2023: A refreshed Strait Acer is back at his Hawkesbury stable ready for a crack at bigger riches.

The promising four-year-old has been in dazzling form this preparation, winning four (the last three in a row) of his five starts, continuing to step up in class.

“Strait Acer went out after winning the Shoot Out Mile at Randwick on September 19,” trainer Edward Cummings said this afternoon.

“He had a week’s break, freshened up nicely and has come back in great order.

“The plan is to go to the $1m Silver Eagle (1300m) at Randwick on October 14, and then hopefully he can make the field for the $10m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens three weeks later.”

Strait Acer, a $25,000 Inglis Ready2Race purchase in 2021, has indeed proved to be a bargain buy.

The Headwater gelding has now won five of his 10 starts, and earned just over $275,000.

Meanwhile, Cummings’ triple Group 1 winner Duais will not be an acceptor for Saturday’s $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m), and has remained in Melbourne following her excellent third to Alligator Blood in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield last Saturday.

“Craig Williams gave her a proper ride, and she ran really well,” Cummings said.

“There are plenty of options for her in Melbourne.

“Every race we run Duais in this spring is our aim. Prior to the Underwood, she was either unlucky or got too far back in both her Sydney runs at Randwick (in the Group 1Winx Stakes, 1400m on August 19 and Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes, 1600m on September 2).