Edward Cummings-trained Arts set to benefit from James McDonald masterpiece at Rosehill on Saturday

Edward Cummings has declared Arts ready to win for the first time in more than 500-days when she steps out in Saturday’s ATC Midway Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Edward Cummings has declared Newhaven Park Stud-bred mare Arts ready to win for the first time in more than 500-days when she steps out in Saturday’s ATC Midway Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens.

The Australian Cup, Tancred Stakes and Queensland Oaks-winning trainer has co-opted recently crowned eight-times Sydney Jockeys Premiership title holder James McDonald to seal the deal.

“It’s a good booking isn’t it?” Cummings said.

“James is riding at like 35 per cent or something stupid.”

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McDonald’s actual winning strike-rate on Sydney’s metropolitan tracks with one month expired in the 2024/25 season is 37.6 per cent.

McDonald – who has his first ride on Arts this weekend – will be the third Everest-winning jockey (in a row) to steer the mare who has a history of peaking at this point in previous preparations.

“Third-up in the past she won the Adrian Knox and this time last year she ran third and was pretty unlucky not to have won at the midweeks when we decided to step her back in grade there with the apprentice on,’’ said Cummings.

“Her work all suggests that she is ready to keep coming on and do well.

“I think we’re on the right path. She is ready to win now. “

Trainer Edward Cummings saddles up Arts at Rosehill on Saturday. Picture: Scott Barbour / Racing Photos

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Whether Arts is ready to win on Saturday’s track surface remains to be seen.

Her Adrian Knox win in 2023 was on a Heavy 8 whilst her Kembla maiden win before that was on a Soft 6.

“She is very dynamic on Soft and Heavy ground where others maybe are not, but I think more pertinently, she is a stayer and she wants to stay,’’ the grandson of 13-times Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Bart said.

“The feedback after her last run was that she was unlucky and Kerrin McEvoy said she just wanted to go up slightly in trip. This is the perfect race for her three weeks after that and it should hopefully provide some lead as to where we go with her for the rest of the prep.’’

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Arts – a future breeder herself – has the distinction of being a direct descendant of two of the most important broodmares in thoroughbred breeding.

Her sixth dam, Isolt, is the mother of Sir Tristram while her ninth is Selene, the dam of Hyperion.

Originally published as Edward Cummings-trained Arts set to benefit from James McDonald masterpiece at Rosehill on Saturday