Concorde Stakes 2016: Hidden Pearl continues long friendship for owner and trainer
PODCAST: PART-owner Leon Cummins will continue a long friendship between Eagle Farm trainer Barry Lockwood and himself when Hidden Pearl contests the Concorde Stakes.
STOCK and station agent Leon Cummins normally has his head down at this time of the year, planning for the annual bush race meeting in rural Barraba.
As president of the Barraba race club in New England for the past 21 years, Cummins is looking forward to the once-a-year races on September 24.
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But the part-owner of star Queensland sprinter Hidden Pearl is looking forward to Saturday even more.
Cummins made the six-hour drive to Sydney to be trackside for the mare’s big assignment in Saturday’s Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick.
It is a lead-up to The Shorts at Randwick two weeks later for the dynamic Brisbane sprinter who has seven wins from 14 starts.
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It continues a long friendship between Cummins and Hidden Pearl’s Eagle Farm trainer Barry Lockwood, with the two great mates since they went to pony club together in Tamworth as kids.
“I have been racing horses for 30 years and I have probably won 60 races or so in that time,” Cummins said.
“When Hidden Pearl was bred, I did think we might have a nice horse on our hands.
“But I was thinking she might have won a few races here and there, maybe a couple of metropolitan races if we got lucky.
“Never did I think she would have performed as well as she has. And not in my wildest dreams did we think we would be going to Sydney with her.’’
Brisbane apprentice Bridget Grylls will again ride Hidden Pearl on Saturday, up against some of the biggest jockey names in Australian racing such as Hugh Bowman, Blake Shinn, tommy Berry and James McDonald
Former Kiwi Grylls is the daughter of retired jockey Gary Grylls and the sister of Craig Grylls, both multiple Group 1-winning riders.
Her grandfather John Grylls was also a Group 1-winning jockey.
And Cummins is more than happy Grylls is riding Hidden Pearl, insisting she has a special connection with the sprint mare.
“Hidden Pearl runs so well for Bridget and I think one of the reasons for that is that Bridget talks to her all the way through her races,” Cummins said.
“I think she has a good chance in this race in Sydney, especially with the wet track down there which she will like a lot more than a lot of her rivals.”
Hidden Pearl has been backed for a stack to continue on her winning ways.
UBET’s Gerard Daffy said she was the best backed runner in the Concorde, from $7 into $3.70.
“Naturally the weather is a worry going forward as nearly all others in the market have been drifters in betting,” Daffy said.
“Queenslanders are right getting behind their representative.”
Originally published as Concorde Stakes 2016: Hidden Pearl continues long friendship for owner and trainer
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