Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The Melbourne Cup dream is well and truly alive for Duais’ owners Matthew Irwin and good mate Peter Harris and it’s all thanks to a yearling they bought on the cheap.
At the 2009 Inglis Scone Yearling Sale, the longtime friends paid just $22,000 for Lot 193 – a filly by Johannesburg (USA) from the unraced mare Flying Visit (USA) (Fly So Free {USA}) – which was offered by Emirates Park.
Peter Harris, Matthew Irwin and Edward Cummings | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Irwin and Harris named her Meerlust, after Meerlust Estate – a winery in South Africa - and she would have had five starts for Tamworth trainer Sue Grills. Meerlust won a maiden at Grafton on debut and placed second on two occasions before her career was cut short due to a knee issue.
That injury, which wasn’t serious, may just have been a blessing in disguise, because since becoming a broodmare, Meerlust has been an absolute marvel. She has had eight foals, five have been to the races, four are winners and two of those are stakes scorers.
Her first foal, Little Lusty (Arlington), went winless in three races. Sadly, her second foal, a filly by Eavesdropper (USA), died at an early age.
Meerlust then had Baccarat Baby (Casino Prince), who had a very successful racetrack career, winning eight of her 27 starts and in excess of $500,000 in prizemoney. Baccarat Baby chalked up two stakes victories – the Listed Princess S. and the G3 Sunshine Coast Guineas, both in 2019. In the same year, Baccarat Baby placed second behind Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) in the G2 Queensland Guineas.
Baccarat Baby when racing | Image courtesy of Vinery
In foal to Dirty Work, Baccarat Baby was consigned by Spendthrift Australia at this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and was secured by Dermot Farmington for $900,000, having been sold by Telemon Thoroughbreds for $650,000 to Spendthrift at the same sale in 2021.
Meerlust’s third foal was a Nicconi filly and would race as Amiche. She notched five wins (three in town) in a 13-start career before Kestrel Thoroughbreds paid $380,000 for her from the Telemon Thoroughbreds draft at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
The next season, Meerlust produced another filly – her fifth in a row. Irwin and Harris named her Duais and she has become one of the best mares in Australia, registering three Group 1 triumphs, including an Australian Cup. Now five, Duais has won seven races, amassing $2,887,765 in prizemoney, and gets the chance to add to that tally on Tuesday when she lines up in the $7.75 million G1 Melbourne Cup.
Watch: Duais winning the G1 Australian Cup
In 2018, Meerlust had a sister to Duais, which has been named Amity Gal (Shamus Award), and the David Vandyke-trained mare already has three wins to her credit, including one at Eagle Farm.
“She’s a big, strong, cantankerous mare and that’s what you want in mums,” Irwin told TDN AusNZ.
“She’s got attitude, she’s a good size, she’s a good mother. She was a hard horse to train because she was so strong-minded and that’s come through in lot of them.
“To have a horse that won her first race at Grafton and keep her on as a broodmare and have her do this… I don’t think there’s many in the form lines of Melbourne Cup runners that have done that.”
“To have a horse (Meerlust) that won her first race at Grafton and keep her on as a broodmare and have her do this… I don’t think there’s many in the form lines of Melbourne Cup runners that have done that.” - Matthew Irwin
In 2021, Meerlust had another filly, this time by All Too Hard, making her a three-quarter sister to Baccarat Baby, before throwing her first colt, by Bivouac, last spring. She is due to be covered by So You Think (NZ) this season.
“After having seven fillies, we got our first colt,” Irwin said. "Widden Stud rate him equal-best at the farm at the moment.”
Not surprisingly, Meerlust, who resides at Widden Stud, was in May named the 2022 Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association Champion Broodmare of the Year winner.
“Widden Stud rate him (the Bivouac x Meerlust colt) the equal-best at the farm at the moment.” - Matthew Irwin
While only a moderate galloper on the track, Meerlust’s damline traces to the great Fanfreluche (Can) (Northern Dancer {Can}). She was a unanimous choice as Canada’s Horse of the Year in 1970 and was Co-Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in North America with Office Queen (USA) (Far Ruler {USA}).
Fanfreluche has thrown stakes winners, including L’Enjoleur (Can) (Buckpasser {USA}), La Voyageuse (Can) (Tentam {USA}) and D’Accord (USA) (Secretariat {USA}). Australian Group 1 winners and Group 1-producing stallions Flying Spur and Encosta De Lago are also direct descendants of Fanfreluche, and so too is Holy Roman Emperor (Ire).
How it came to be
While she may not train Duais, that role is filled by Edward Cummings, Irwin said Grills is a big part of the story and deserves high praise.
Sue and Andrew Grills | Image courtesy of Sue Grills
“Peter and I decided to race a horse and we asked Sue to buy it for us. She had a very good horse at the time called Border Rebel and he was by Johannesburg. She went to the Scone Sale and there was only one by Johannesburg, which happened to be the one we bought,” Irwin explained.
A star performer
Duais made her debut in a maiden at Newcastle on June 27, 2020, finishing second at $41. She ticked off her maiden two starts later, before winning for the first time in town in March last year.
Her first stakes assignment was the G3 Adrian Knox S. in April 2021 and she passed that examination with flying colours, winning by 0.5l under Hugh Bowman.
Duais then tackled Group 1 company, contesting the ATC Oaks, where she beat all bar Hungry Heart (Frankel {GB}).
Her owners didn’t have to wait long for her maiden Group 1 success, however, with Duais taking out the Queensland Oaks at her next start. She has since added this year’s G1 Australian Cup and G1 Tancred S. to her CV.
“People dream of winning three Group 1s,” said Irwin.
“People dream of winning three Group 1s.” - Matthew Irwin
“We were really hoping to win a Saturday race with her, so everything is a bonus for us at the moment.
“It’s a journey for two families and it’s wonderful. We were neighbours living in Chatswood together. We’ve known each other since 1994 and they moved in the day before my first daughter was born, so this is a friendship going on 30 years.”
The Melbourne Cup
Having a runner on Melbourne Cup Day isn’t foreign to Irwin and Harris; they had Baccarat Baby contest the G1 Empire Rose S. in 2019. Baccarat Baby ran a super race, finishing fifth behind superstar mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), who was in imperious form at the time.
Melody Belle (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Irwin said that was an amazing experience, but having a homebred contest arguably Australia’s greatest race is next level.
“We’re all pumped, it’s very exciting,” he said.
“This is the icing on the cake. This is not buying a share in a horse and being lucky to get somewhere like that, we’ve owned the mother, owned the family and it’s just been a wonderful journey for everybody and we’re all in it together.
“This is the icing on the cake. This is not buying a share in a horse and being lucky to get somewhere like that, we’ve owned the mother, owned the family and it’s just been a wonderful journey for everybody and we’re all in it together.” - Matthew Irwin
“We’re very blessed with the success we’ve had and we don’t take it for granted; we’re here to enjoy every moment of it.”
