News

Cummings contenders no joke in major races

1st Apr 2010

Sydney Morning Herald - Craig Young & Chris Roots - Friday, 2 April 2010

Bart Cummings warned it was April Fool's Day and ''jokes will be played - people will tell you a lot of things and some might not be true''.

So what about the blinkers, norton bit and nose roll being replaced with winkers, cross-over noseband and lugging bit on Roman Emperor in The BMW at Rosehill?

''Gear, don't know until you try it, seemed all right this morning, actually improved him a bit,'' Cummings replied at Randwick trackwork yesterday. ''This will be his last run this preparation. He has won a derby, run second in a Caulfield Cup, so this [race] looks just about right.''

On to the master's VRC Oaks winner Faint Perfume. Cummings said punters should forget the filly's last-start ninth in the Coolmore Classic.

''Leader bias,'' he quipped. ''She drew wide, would have been at least six wide turning for home and leaders were winning all day.''

In the Queen Of The Turf Stakes, Cummings has his Toorak Handicap winner Allez Wonder up against the dominator Typhoon Tracy. ''She [Allez Wonder] goes good on firm tracks, works all right on wet tracks,'' he said. ''We've got to beat the other one, she is pretty darn good, she has won everything.''

RUN FOR VICTORY

Patinack Farm trainer John Thompson believes Run For Naara is ready to show she is the best staying filly in the country in the Vinery Stud Stakes.

The More Than Ready filly was robbed of the chance to perform over a trip in the spring by a shoeing incident before the Wakeful Stakes, where she was fourth to Faint Perfume.

''They cut her hoof, cut too much and we couldn't go on to the oaks,'' Thompson said. ''It was a great effort in the Wakeful given the circumstances.

''I'm sure she would have matched the other fillies and I know Bart's filly went good but the way she was going I think she would have beaten her.''

Run For Naara took on the boys last week and was strong at the end of the Rosehill Guineas when running third behind Zabrasive.

''You just have to forget about anything she does before she gets to 2000m,'' Thompson said. ''She is just an out-and-out stayer.''

SUITABLE TARGET

Gai Waterhouse has two Slipper runners but the biggest tip for a juvenile from her stable tomorrow is Zutara in the listed Baillieu Handicap. The Encosta De Lago filly was Waterhouse's leading contender in the Slipper on the order of entry before Brightexpectations won the Pago Pago Stakes and More Strawberries was runner-up in the Magic Night Stakes last week.

''We decided that she is not a Slipper horse because they will just run her off her legs,'' Waterhouse said. ''We have targeted the Baillieu and then [the AJC] Sires with her.''

STATS WATCH

Our breeding man John Holloway reports of the 15 acceptors for the Slipper, 10 are fillies, three are colts (Brightexpectations, Hinchinbrook and Beneteau) and two are geldings (Decision Time and Carved In Stone).

Eight of the runners were bred and retained by their owners while four two-year-olds were products of the Inglis Easter Sales (Beneteau for $1m; Georgette Silk for $730,000; Shaaheq for $350,000 and Carved in Stone for $80,000); two hail from the Magic Millions Gold Coast sales (Military Rose $155,000 and Brightexpectations $150,000), while Chance Bye cost $15,000 at the Inglis Classic Sales.

More Than Ready, Redoute's Choice and Fastnet Rock are all represented by two youngsters in the Slipper and More Than Ready is aiming for a hat-trick having sired the past two winners, Sebring and Phelan Ready.

Photo: 1976 STC Golden Slipper winner Vivarchi, trained by JB Cummings