Canterbury preview: Barrier boost in Anthony Cummings and Gerry Harvey’s bid for second win in week
Anthony Cummings and Gerry Harvey aim to win their second race this week as a pair when the gelded Straand Beauty resumes under lights at Canterbury
Horse Racing
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Gerry Harvey can help Anthony Cummings post his 105th winner at Canterbury on Friday night, days after the trainer notched first at Muswellbrook courtesy of another epic Baramul blue blood.
Leilani Lodge has housed a number of Harvey-bred gallopers over a long period, none of them with a higher profile or better CV than the triple Group 2 winner and 2020 Everest participant Libertini.
Libertini was bred on an I Am Invincible/Encosta De Lago cross, the same as Harvey and Cummings’ Monday Muswellbrook winner, Wedding Planner.
“She did a lot wrong and still won so that’s always good,’’ Cummings said.
“She’s a nice horse with a decent pedigree that had a few issues but has gone ahead nicely now and is doing fine.’’
Cummings and Harvey’s Friday night contender is also out of an Encosta De Lago mare, namely Straand Beauty, who is set to resume in the ATC Proven Thoroughbreds Handicap over (1100m).
“He comes back now as a gelding,’’ Cummings said.
“He looked like being pretty good. We went to the races with high expectations a few times and he didn’t quite get to where we thought he would so we gelded him and he’s back now and he shows the benefit of being two stone lighter.”
Straand Beauty was dealt a potentially winning hand with barrier one for his return much to the delight of his 24-time Group 1-winning handler.
“The short way home is always the best,’’ Cummings said.
“It can be a speedway so there is no harm in being there.’’
Cummings’ other runner on the Canterbury card is the lightly-raced and promising Classic colt Flying From Above who steps out in the ATC Classique Legend Celebration Sprint (1250m).
The son of All Aged Stakes winner and emerging stallion Pierata sent out some very positive and encouraging signs when a closing third on debut in an apparently uncommonly strong Super Maiden at Newcastle.
“I thought his run was really good,’’ Cummings said.
“He was a tad slow away and got into an awkward spot and made good ground when he got clear.
“He’s made good improvement since then.
“He has always been a bit of a slow- learner and is still learning as you’d expect but he is a nice horse in the making and has got a got a good future.”
Flying From Above is a cleverly-crafted example of inbreeding with a triple cross of Zabeel.
The family has already prospered one Derby winner, Prized Icon, who won the VRC Derby for Anthony’s son, James.
Cummings, Anthony that is, will ensure that Flying From Above will get his chance to live up to his classic credentials for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
“That’s in the intention right now,’’ Cummings said.
“We’ll just see what he can do for us.
“I think the nominations for all those races come up next week so a good run here would be timely.
‘When they continue to improve and when they get out to distances they are comfortable at, they can take those big steps.
“So we’ll just do whatever makes sense step to step.’’
Walcha preview: Payne to go the distance in dual chase
Trainer Todd Payne will cover close to 1250km over the next couple of days with a Walcha Cup and TAB Highway at Royal Randwick the pot of gold at the end of the journey.
The Inverell conditioner will be influential in the outcome of both races, saddling up the favourites in Friday’s Cup (Shamedy) and in Saturday’s Highway (Lisztomania).
Newhaven Park Stud-bred Shamedy profiles as a country cups horse, present and future, given his fourth in the Inverell town feature on New Year’s Day ahead of his booming seven-length win the Deepwater Cup on January 25.
“He has got a habit of missing the kick and you’ve got to get going a little bit earlier than normal and that’s what we did on him the other day,’’ Payne said.
“He half missed the kick at Deepwater and went out the back door and Cob’s (Cobi Vitler) got moving on him about the 600m and by the time they got to the corner, he put them away pretty easy. He’s only a four-year-old but he’s won seven races, just his benchmark is catching with up him, that’s his problem.
“The plan is, we will see what happens after Friday, but we will probably go to Quirindi Cup then he can maybe go to the paddock.’’
Shamedy will have company on the float from Inverell to Walcha on Friday from his relatively new stablemate, A Tent Hut, who was runner-up in a mile race on the Deepwater Cup undercard.
“I’ve only given the one start since we bought him,’’ Payne said.
“He just seems like a grinder and seems like he wants to run all day so we’ll go 1700m on Friday and then probably look for a bit further next start.”
While Payne’s immediate focus is on Walcha, Saturday’s Highway is a pivotal moment for five-times Highway placegetter Lisztomania.
“I am really happy with him,’’ Payne said.
“We’ll be targeting the Championships so this will be his lead-up run into the Heat (at Tamworth on March 9).
A $27,000 Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling purchase, Lisztomania will be ridden by James McDonald for an apparently eagerly sought second time on the weekend.
Originally published as Canterbury preview: Barrier boost in Anthony Cummings and Gerry Harvey’s bid for second win in week
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