Trainer Anthony Cummings has revealed that races like the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) could be on the agenda for Scandiva during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
Injuries have kept Scandiva away from the races since the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Scandiva showed plenty of talent as a juvenile, taking out the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) and finishing second in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m), but has not been seen at the races since she failed to fire in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 7 last year due to a number of issues.
The Fastnet Rock mare made her first public appearance this preparation with a strong second behind Ryker in a barrier trial over 840 metres at Royal Randwick last Friday and is set to have one more barrier trial before she returns to the races in either the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1300m) at Royal Randwick on August 23 or the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 13.
The presence of Lankan Rupee has led to many trainers of other leading sprinters shying away from running in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m), Manikato Stakes and Darley Classic, but Cummings told Racing Ahead that he would not hesitate to give the four-year-old an opportunity
“She starts off in a mares race in about three weeks’ time,” Cummings said.
“She trialed really nicely next week, but she probably just came to the end of it at the last little bit, so we will trial her again and she will start off in the Sheraco or the Toy Show over 1200.
“We will see exactly what she shows us there, but there are those Group 1 races in Melbourne.
“She has trialed up against Lankan Rupee before and showed up pretty well for the stage that she was at in comparison and it wouldn’t surprise me if she proved to be competitive at that level.
“Hopefully she can improve on that Group 1 record.”
Scandiva made her racing debut with a fifth place finish in the Listed Inglis Debutants Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield during the 2012 Spring Racing Carnival and she failed to fire in the Lonhro Plate (1100m) before taking out both the Emerald Hills Estate Plate (1100m) and Magic Night Stakes.
The half-brother of Magnus went into the Sires Produce Stakes at the massive odds of $66 and she hit the front at the 75 metre mark, but she was caught by champion filly Guelph in the final stages of the race.
Scandiva has been restricted to just seven race starts, but she has already accumulated $230,580 in prizemoney for connections and is set to be a valuable commodity as a broodmare.
