The final group 1 race of the thoroughbred season and what do you do? The Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm on Saturday and it is an all female affair.
“Highly competitive,” the maestro’s son, Anthony Cummings replied on Friday.
The son of living legend Bart Cummings will start new arrival Arctic Flight and the down trodden Diamond Earth in the Eagle Farm feature.
“Intriguing race to finish the majors,” was the comment from John Thompson who will start wild card three-year-old Peron.
Thompson, whose father Vic was the maiden trainer for racing industry donators Jack and Bob Ingham, is worried about wearing a Tiara.
Peron, which Thompson wanted when seen as a yearling, is owned by troubled mining magnate Nathan Tinkler. She is the winner of six from seven.
John Thompson, who has won $20m in prizemoney, 470 races – 45 at stakes level – 4 group 1s, since heading up Tinkler’s Patinack Farm operation, reckons the weather Gods are not about to be obliging.
“A pretty bloody good horse,” said Thompson, who worked with all manner of champions, including Saintly, when working for Bart Cummings.
“She hates the wet and it is pouring down up here,” he added.
While Tinkler has been winding up the $200m plus racing operating Thompson has gone commercial. Out on his own, at the blessing of Tinkler, there will be stables at Randwick and Eagle Farm.
“The Boss [Tinkler] is very supportive and I’m looking forward to the next phase,” Thompson said.
“There is something about Peron, she keeps on delivering.”
Anthony Cummings is “really pleased” with Arctic Flight and Diamond Earth while weary of Bob Ingham’s She’s Clean and stablemate Red Tracer.
“Arctic Flight has improved every start she has had for me,” Cummings said.
“The five runs she has had for me have been encouraging. She come to me looking for a stakes race and we’ve managed to do that.”
Last time round Arctic Flight was beaten a head, a head by Red Tracer and fellow Tiara rival Floria.
“She had to come from a wide gate and will have to do the same thing again,” Cummings said.
“It is a similar looking race and she can do it again.”
Cummings described She’s Clean as “pretty promising” but “she has had a pretty soft lead in”.She’s Clean and Red Tracer are trained by the latest of few wizards, Chris Waller while another one time Bart Cummings graduate Guy Walter will start Streama and Skyerush.
“They have excellent form,” Anthony Cummings said.
“Streama on best form, barrier one, is the one to beat. Skyerush ran second in this race last year and is going better than she was 12 months ago.
“Peron is the new kid on the block, as is She’s Clean.
“It is what it is, a proper group 1 race, all the best mares at this time of the season are vying for the last group 1 of the season.
“This race has been a great success for the club.”
As for Diamond Earth Cummings said “they had her pegged as a two-year-old” for “she wouldn’t compete at three”.
“For mine she looks like she’ll improve again at four,” Cummings said.
“She has won $600,000 in prizemoney, she is a stakes winner at Scone and this race gives her a chance to build on that record.”
By Craig Young
