THURSDAY, June 20, 2024: ON a day when longshot winners ruled the roost at Kembla Grange, Hawkesbury trainers Ed Cummings and Steve O’Halloran joined the “party”.
Cummings produced Cohesive to score impressively first-up at $13, notching his 12th winner of the season, and O’Halloran made it six for the season with $21 shot Jaex.
Cohesive had Tom Sherry aboard as she put paid to her rivals in the Super 4YO & Up Maiden Handicap (1200m), and Jean Van Overmeire partned Jaex to a gutsy victory in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1300m).
Cummings produced Xtravagant four-year-old Cohesive for an impressive victory at only her fourth start, and first since early January.
Despite racing wide throughout, Cohesive burst away over the closing stages to score by nearly four lengths from $2.15 favorite Euromaster, with fellow Hawkesbury representative, Phil and Tara Vigouroux’s Legrix ($41), third.
“We’ve been a bit quiet lately (his previous winner was Odegaard at Hawkesbury on May 23), so it was good to get back into the winning list,” Cummings said.
“I liked this mare’s chances, and she didn’t let us down.”
Cohesive, a lightly-raced four-year-old daughter of Xtravagant and four-times Melbourne winner Unabated, was bred by Newhaven Park and has been with Cummings from the start of her career.
“She was always a bit behind and timid, and Newhaven decided not to continue with her after she had trialled ingloriously over 800m at home in June last year,” Cummings said.
“We bought her online (for $16,000) the following month, and the Barwick family and other clients came in to race her with me.”
Cummings’ decision to purchase Cohesive gained a boost, even before her Kembla performance, in regard to her potential as a future broodmare when an Ole Kirk yearling filly fetched $1m at the Gold Coast Magic Millions sale in January.
That filly is out of Unabated’s daughter Supara, a Sydney winner and thrice Group 2 placegetter.
Cummings hopes to make it two wins in three days with the talented Strait Acer (Tim Clark) in Saturday’s Listed Civic Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick, and has opted to put blinkers on him.
Strait Acer has returned home after missing out on a start in last Saturday’s Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm when second emergency.
“I intended to use them had he made the Stradbroke field,” Cummings said.
“I’ve always felt he needed blinkers, but there was no need to risk spoiling things whilst ever he was racing well.
“It’s got to the point where it’s the right time to introduce them.
“Strait Acer loves Randwick and the 1400m, and has drawn well. He was beaten only two lengths at his latest run in the Group 3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben, and comes back to Listed grade.”
Strait Acer last raced at Randwick over the Civic course when runner-up to Territory Express in the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final on April 13.
O’Halloran had also had undergone a quiet period until Rico Suave scored at Wyong last Thursday; his first winner since Jaex also won there in March.
And he wasn’t the least surprised when the latter burst back into winning form at Kembla Grange.
“Her last run at Kembla Grange last month was good as she ran fifth after racing on the inside section of the track, which was inferior,” O’Halloran said.
“I decided to put both blinkers and a tongue tie on her today, and a couple of gallops she had in the three weeks between runs were sharp.
“Jaex is not a big mare, but is very tough.
“She doesn’t know how to give in and was going as well today at the end of the race as she was on the home turn.”