Hall of Fame trainer Bart Cummings has visions of
an eighth Group One Oaks race in Adelaide with his impressive Flemington winner from last
Monday Embraceable You. Cummings is planning on
sending the daughter of former European star Rodrigo de Triano to Adelaide, the city the
Cups king started his career in the 1950s.
"Races like the Australasian Oaks and SA Oaks in
Adelaide in May look like a good way to go with her," Cummings said after the win.
Since winning his first Group One race in Adelaide from his
Glenelg based stable in 1959, Cummings has now won 245 races at racing's elite level.
Since Stormy Passage galloped to victory in the '59 SA Derby at Morphettville, the famous
trainer has won Group One features in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Cummings is well known for his abilities with
fillies and preparing them to win the feature staying races. During his fourty year career
no fewer than 23 Group One Oaks races have fell to the training maestro.
Now Cummings is hoping to add Embraceable You's name to his
honour roll of Oaks winning fillies that include Our Tristalight, Leilani, Tristalove,
Light Fingers, Lowland, Gay Poss, Stapleton Lass, Leica Show, Sheraco, Taj Eclipse,
Tristanagh, Weekend Delight, Danendri and Magical Miss.
Cummings describes Embraceable You, who is a half sister to
a former stable star Allez Suez, as a "game filly."
"She finishes her races off well and she deserves her
chance to go to Adelaide for the fillies races there."
The trainer would probably set the
filly for the first leg of the Adelaide triple crown - the $100,000 Group Three Lakewood
Stud Stakes (1800m) to be run at Cheltenham on April 20. From there she would progress to
the $250,000 Group One Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on May 4 before most
likely tackling the third leg of the trio - the $250,000 Group One SA Oaks, again at
Morphettville, a fortnight later.
Cummings would be hoping the filly could possibly win all
three races, thus providing connections with a $500,000 bonus. The trio of races are
winnable. Episode took all three, while La Volta went within a half head of the bonus.
Connections of Embraceable You did have some
anxious moments after the win in the Mark Sensing 1400 on Monday. The rider of the
runner-up Ansami, Noel Callow fired in a protest against the winner.
However, after a relatively short hearing the protest was
thrown out and Embraceable You retained the race from Ansami. Third home was Encosterino.
Meanwhile, the trainer of the runner-up Ansami, Nigel
Blackiston, said his filly would also be aimed at the rich series to the west.
"We'd aim at her running in Adelaide over the
carnival," he said.
Blackiston won the first leg of the Triple Crown last year
with Shelbourne Lass, who incredibly won later in the day at Flemington on Monday.
PICS - Quentin
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