Trainer Duncan hopes to kick a goal with Dzsenifer

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Gary Duncan hopes to kick a goal by claiming his biggest ever pay day with promising mare Dzsenifer in the Magic Millions National Classic at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Dzsenifer was named after German soccer star, Dzsenifer Marozsán, and is set to tackle the might of the Chris Waller stable in the $500,000 Weight-For-Age feature.

The aptly named mare is by Scissor Kick and has won five times and placed on seven other occasions in her 17-start career with prize money earnings of just over $418,000.

One of those placings was when Duncan was attempting to win the Group 3 Winx Guineas for a second time at the Sunshine Coast in July last year.

Duncan won the 2020 edition of the Winx Guineas with Wapiti, which has been his biggest win of his career.

“Wapiti’s win in the Winx Guineas was my biggest ever pay day but Dzsenifer will be if she can win this race on Saturday,” Duncan said.

Dzsenifer was outclassed in last year’s Winx Guineas when beaten almost six lengths by the Mick Price and Michael Kent-trained Our Playboy. 

Dzsenifer sent her broodmare value soaring after her dominant last start win in the Listed Silk Stocking at the Gold Coast on May 7.

“She’s come through the race very well but the firmness of Eagle Farm is a bit of a worry,” he said.

“This is a tougher race than the Silk Stocking but I couldn’t be happier with her.”

Duncan had been training for more than 30 years and moved from Atherton in the state's Far North to Caloundra on Queensland's Sunshine Coast about a decade ago. 

He suffered a near fatal heart attack in the Doomben tie-up stalls in July but has fully recovered.

Dzsenifer became Duncan’s lucky charm after giving the Caloundra trainer his first winner just two weeks after heart surgery.

Duncan originally started training as a hobby while working as a carpenter. 

He believes Dzsenifer can fight out the finish and has named the Chris Waller-trained pair Kiku and Nudge as the main dangers.