CUMMINGS THRILLED AFTER FILLIES ZARDOZI AND RED CARD BLOOM WITH A STAKES DOUBLE AT ROSEHILL IN SYDNEY

Godolphin Australia head trainer James Cummings enjoyed a Group race double at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Saturday as Zardozi turned up an impressive winner of the Group 2 Chandon Phar Lap Stakes after Red Card sprinted to victory in the Group 3 Maurice McCarten Stakes. A three-year-old Kingman filly, Zardozi had won the G1 Kennedy Oaks at Flemington in November and making her first start of 2024 in the G1 Surround Stakes at Randwick in early March was seen finishing 11th in a field of 12. She went under visiting English jockey Tom Marquand at Randwick and the Englishman retained the ride for the Phar Lap. Putting his experience to good use, Marquand led Zardozi between runners in the straight and breaking clear, the pair kicked for home and finished with two lengths to spare from Makarena, with Kintyre a neck away in third.

Zardozi’s sixth success in 11 starts also helped drop her name into the mix for the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes and the G1 Australian Oaks. Her win arrived 40 minutes after Red Card, a four-year-old Ribchester filly, breezed home under Adam Hyeronimus to win the 1100m Maurice McCarten Stakes by three quarters of a length from Libertad with Airman a half length behind in third. The win thrilled Cummings and proved his filly was on course for the two big G1s this autumn. “She’s a class act, you had to be prepared to forgive her for her first-up effort (11th) when plenty went against her and yet she pulled up from the run well,” Cummings said. “We stuck to our guns and the Phar Lap was perfect for her and a stepping stone to the Vinery. Up to 2,000m in a couple of weeks she’s going to be spot-on. Her win in the VRC Oaks was pretty special.

I certainly think she’s the kind of filly who is going to reward Godolphin.” Cummings will look to start Red Card in the 1200m G2 Sapphire Stakes. “That win today gives me the opportunity to step her up to six furlongs in a month’s time,” he said. “I think a month to the Sapphire looks good. A great job that Adam was able to do on her, she jumped so fast and took control of the race. She’s got that natural pace and it’s a great result for our work riders who continue to try to teach her to settle.”