Snippetson Mare Wins Slipper Day Opener

Snippetson Mare Wins Slipper Day Opener

Mar 19, 2016

Anthony Cummings started Golden Slipper day on a winning note when his five year-old Snippetson mare Vergara led throughout to win the Group III Epona Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.

A stakes-winner last spring in the Listed Mona Lisa Stakes at Wyong, Vergara was rock hard fit at her fourth run back from a spell for this 1900 metre assignment and was coming out of the Group I ATC Coolmore Classic.

Ninth on that occasion, she found the drop in grade and rise in distance firmly in her favour and under an inspired ride from James McDonald posted a half neck win.

"It was a good tough effort as she had to do it the hard way,” he said.

"She relaxed reasonably well and was just too tough for them.”

Vergara has the overall record of eight wins and six placings from 31 starts with prizemoney now nearing $400,000.

"We’ll look for some nice races over the Randwick carnival for her as this will be her last season of racing and maybe a race like the Hollindale Cup at the Gold Coast might suit after that.”

Retained to race, Vergara is one of two winners from four to race from Graces Spirit, a half-sister by Flying Spur to dual Group I winner and sire Turffontein and to the dam of stakes-winner Affable.

Graces Spirit has a yearling colt by Duporth, a weanling filly by Canford Cliffs (IRE) and was covered last spring by Smart Missile.

Copy: Breednet

Images: Lisa Grimm