Third Time Lucky For The Duke In Hong Kong Mile

Third in Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Mile in 2004 and second last year, The Duke pinched Hong Kong´s premier mile event under an excellent tactical ride from Olivier Doleuze.

Trained by Caspar Fownes, The Duke was always travelling well in the box-seat position and made a race-winning move at the head of the stretch. Tenaciously, he held onto the advantage as the Douglas Whyte-ridden 6/5 favourite Armada did his utmost to run him down in the final strides, failing by a head to get up.

Ramonti, in the hands of Endo Botti, cut out the early pace in the race, and held on gallantly for third place, with a wall of horses behind him.

Afterwards an elated Olivier Doleuze said: 'It´s great to win my first Group Race in Hong Kong, and this horse deserves his success. He has been placed in the race twice before and today was his day. I grabbed an advantage at the head of the straight, and that was what won it for me. I could feel Douglas Whyte closing on me, but I´m happy that today was our day and that he held on.'

For Armada it was a case of what might have been. Sent off as the Hong Kong public´s elect on the strength of his victory in the CX International Mile Trial, where he had The Duke back in second, Armada did absolutely nothing wrong in defeat, as Douglas Whyte threw everything into the closing stages in his bid to catch the winner. ' What can you say, when you go down by a head? The post came a stride too soon, but he ran brilliantly and he gave me everything.'

The pace set by Ramonti, who was tracked by Sir Ernesto for a large part of the race, was an honest one, and set the race up perfectly for the late dual between the two principals. Armada apart, none of the other contenders were able to take a hand in the finish, once Doleuze had launched The Duke on his run to the wire.

The time was very quick ? the 1 minute 33.4 run was just one-tenth of a second outside a track record standing for 23 years.