SUNDAY: November 22, 2020: HAWKESBURY filly Evening Bride wasn’t having anything to do with a “bridesmaid” tag yesterday!
Trainer Edward Cummings skilfully planned a first-up tilt with his debutante at Gosford yesterday – and it paid off as the three-year-old quickly shed her maiden status in style.
Jess Taylor picked up a late winning mount in the Provincial & Country Maiden Plate (900m) when Keagan Latham couldn’t make the weight, and gave Evening Bride ($6.50) a perfect ride to upset odds-on favorite Jaytees ($1.70), consigning him to his fourth consecutive second placing.
Taylor got the filly away smartly from the inside barrier, then settled her behind the leading trio. She eased away from the inside on the home turn to avoid the tiring $31 chance Sundelago, and Evening Bride finished determinedly in the centre of the track to overhaul the hotpot.
A daughter of four-times winner Bull Point, whose best victory was the 2014 Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield when trained by Gai Waterhouse, Evening Bride was a dual acceptor for yesterday’s meeting.
Cummings also accepted with her in the previous race, the Maiden Handicap (1200m) against her own sex, but wisely opted for the shorter event.
“I wanted to make a good thing of her,” Cummings said today.
“Instead of taking on the 1200m Maiden, the right option was to run in the Provincial and Country Maiden, where she had 2.5kg less and the rails barrier.”
Ironically, Cummings’ brother, Godolphin’s head Australian trainer James, landed that race with $2.40 favorite Colours (Christian Reith), but the Hawkesbury trainer suggested his filly could still have won the 1200m Maiden.
James Cummings actually prepared Evening Bride’s dam, the unraced Postponed mare Supper, and brother Edward’s filly is her first foal.
Supper trialled on four occasions in Sydney in 2016, but never made it to the races.
Edward Cummings has been patient with Evening Bride, delaying her debut until yesterday.
“She has been in the stable on a few occasions, but I did the right thing by her and her owners,” he said.
Evening Bride trialled twice this time in work, finishing third on both occasions – at Randwick on October 30 (735m) and her home track last Monday (800m).
“I was very happy with how she trialled last Monday, and was confident she was ready to go to the races and run well,” Cummings said.
Goulburn filly Diorissima finished second in the Hawkesbury trial, and came from last at the 800m to finish second in the TAB Highway (1600m) at yesterday’s The Gong meeting at Kembla Grange – before Evening Bride made her debut.