Duca Valentinois and Raiment begin new campaigns at Randwick

The two-time Listed winner Duca Valentinois and dual G3 winner Raiment, both return to racing at Randwick on Saturday, 17 February to begin campaigns it is hoped will take them to a new level.

Duca Valentinois (Glyn Schofield), a six-year-old who began his career in Ireland, resumes in the G3 Southern Cross Stakes with trainer James Cummings hoping to see him return to form.

“At 1200m this is a distance short of his best, but he may well reward us for being put in the paddock since winning a Listed race at Hawkesbury last start in November,” Cummings said.

“He’ll strip fitter after a very fast run barrier trial at Warwick Farm a couple of weeks ago and looks ready to run a nice race first up.

“But you can expect to see him jump out of the ground when he gets up to 1500 or 1600 metres.”

Duca Valentinois’ opposition includes the G1 winner Clearly Innocent, who like him is resuming, as is the consistent Deploy whose best win came in the G2 Theo Marks Stakes last spring when he also made the select field in the A$10m Everest.

Raiment runs in the G3 Triscay Stakes in her first start since June when she ended a campaign that included G3 wins in the Birthday Card Stakes and the James Carr Stakes.

In the second of those victories she accounted for the good filly Invincibella.

“We’d like to see her show competitive form at a track where she had a dominant win in the Carr Stakes as an autumn three-year-old nearly 12 months ago,” Cummings said.

“She looked very strong in her recent work after she won a barrier trial and looks capable of running a top race.”