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Bart runs blooming Rose

13 Apr, 2009 01:00 AM
Sunday Rose just missed out on a start in the Golden Slipper but her trainer Bart Cummings has not given up on a Group1 win with the filly during this autumn campaign.

She is among the entries for Saturday's AJC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) and Cummings will consider backing her up if she performs well in today's Keith Mackay Quality.

''She only just missed out on a Slipper start as the first emergency,'' Cummings said.

''Missing that race hasn't done her any harm and she's done very well with the week off.

''She is still in the Sires' Produce and there's a possibility she will run but we'll get this one out of the way first.''

Sunday Rose won her debut on February 4 then finished second to Melito in the Silver Slipper.

A slow start cost her a better placing than sixth and a share of the prizemoney in the Reisling Stakes won by More Joyous.

Sunday Rose is owned by Cummings, who named her after the daughter of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban.

She is the $3.50 favourite with ACTTAB Sportsbet ahead of Readyor and Movie at $6 with Sheeznodoubt a little further adrift at $6.50.

While Cummings is contemplating extending Sunday Rose's campaign, trainer Gary Portelli is giving Sheeznodoubt the opportunity to end her two-year-old season in glory.

The winner of one of her four starts, Sheeznodoubt is an on-pace runner and Portelli expects her to be hard to catch from barrier two.

''She has been working brilliantly and I think she will just have too much speed for them,'' Portelli said.

''After this she will go straight to the paddock for a break.

''At this stage of her career, 1200m is as far as she wants but that might be different later on.

''I am very confident she can win.''

Today's three Listed races the Keith Mackay, the Fernhill Handicap (1600m) and the Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) will be run on the course proper with the other five races held on the Kensington track.

Meanwhile, New Zealand jockey Samantha Spratt has warmed up for her big assignment aboard King Mufhasa in this week's Doncaster with a Group1 victory on home turf. Spratt won her fifth major race of the season when she guided Prince Kaapstad from a wide draw to victory in the Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

One of the outsiders in the Easter Handicap field, Prince Kaapstad is trained by Richard Yuill who also provided Spratt with the first of her Group1 winners for 2008-09, Gallions Reach in the Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day.

Spratt then added Group1 wins with King Mufhasa in the Telegraph Handicap (1200m) at Trentham in January and the Waikato Sprint (1400m) the following month.

A couple of weeks later she chalked up Group1 No4 with Culminate in the Otaki Weight-For-Age (1600m).

King Mufhasa was third in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in Sydney on April 4 after hitting the lead early in the straight but couldn't hold on for the win.

Spratt is sure Mufhasa will be improved by the race.

''He hadn't raced for eight weeks, it was a heavy track and he just came to the end of his run the last bit,'' Spratt said.

''I expect him to improve a lot.

''It's obviously going to be a tough field but he's going to be competitive.'' AAP

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