Agueda ready to take on Samaready

A first class track gallop has convinced trainer Anthony Cummings that his smart filly Agueda will be competitive up against Blue Diamond winner Samaready when the pair clash at Caulfield tomorrow.

Agueda and Samaready are both commencing their Spring campaigns in the Listed $120,000 Lister Quezette Stakes (1100m) and Cummings is confident that his General Nediym filly can repeat her impressive track work leading up to her return to the race track.

“She’s always been an impressive worker and the good thing is she runs up to her work,” Cummings said.

Agueda showed Cummings that she had come back from a spell in fine order with a Randwick barrier trial win and then topped that off with a solid gallop on Tuesday morning at Caulfield in preparation for her first attempt at the Melbourne way of racing.

“I thought the trial was very good and  I was very pleased because it showed that she had returned in good form and that she has a decent campaign in front of her,” Cummings said.

“Caulfield offers a bit of a challenge for some but she was very adept and got on her Melbourne leg with no issue and looked very comfortable doing it, so we’re going to the races without any real hesitation about her handling the track at all.”

Agueda only has a Gosford win against her name but did compete at Group 3 and Group 2 level in the Autumn with a second to Dances On Stars in the Group 3 $125,000 Matrium Financial Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on April 14 her best effort.

The Mick Price trained Samaready has been posted a short priced favourite for her first appearance since finishing third to Pierro in the Group 1 $3.5m AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on April 7.

“It‘s a good race for her to resume in, she has to carry a bit of ‘pud’ under the set weights and penalties but she’s had a good prep,” Price said.

The More Than Ready filly was sent out favourite in the Slipper on the basis of her dominant three lengths victory in the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 25 and her easy win in the Group 2 $300,000 Jacobs Creek Reisling Slipper Trial (1200m) at Rosehill on March 24.

After Caulfield on Saturday, Price will head to Sydney to test Samaready over 1400m in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose at Rosehill on September 15.

Price will then decide if to push onto the 1600m of the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 17 or bring her back to the 1200m of the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on November 3.

“I am happy to be trying Samaready over 1400m at this point. Does she get 1600m? Who knows, and it still allows us time for her to get 1600m because there’s a bit of space between the Golden Rose and the Thousand Guineas,” Price said.

“And if we’re not happy in the Golden Rose we can always freshened her up for Derby Day and run in the Coolmore.”

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.