The Jake Stephens-trained En Francais (+1700) has shown a blistering turn-of-speed to claim victory in the Group 3 Cummings Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on Saturday afternoon.
The daughter of Puissance De Lune hadn’t found the winners enclosure in over a year before Saturday’s breath-taking victory, as the six-year-old mare was forced to swoop the entire field from near-last turning for home.
The David Aldridge-trained Chicago Storm (+900) left them all chasing in the middle stages, with the son of Trust In A Gust catching his rivals napping on the corner as Carleen Hefel pushed the button early.
Sirileo Miss (+900) couldn’t match motors sitting outside the leader, and it looked to be all over as Chicago Storm bolted six lengths clear at the top of the straight.
Jimmy The Bear (+240) appeared to be the only challenger with 200m left to travel as Chicago Storm hit a brick wall, but it was En Francais with a withering run under Lachlan Neindorf to secure victory in The Cummings Stakes.
It was a career highlight as a trainer for Jake Stephens which he spoke about in his post-race assessment of his mare.
“That was exciting,” said Stephens.
“We didn’t know where we’d end up and she was a bit tardy away, last start she was very relaxed like that too, she’s the sort of horse we’ve put forward on speed and then today they ran along which obviously helped us out but to come from where she did, out of the picture we were sort of ‘what’s happening here’ we left it up to Lachie (Neindorf) and he’s pulled it off which is great.
“We had her in three weeks early and then she had a hiccup, she had some mud fever and we just couldn’t get rid of it, we tried and tried and that way we ended up in the Queen Of The South first up without a jump out or a barrier trial, so huge run there to run fifth and just done track gallops, she’d only galloped with another horse once.
“We were really happy with that and we knew today she was just firing.
“Great horse, one of those things, bit of pressure, bloody happy we got the win.
“When those horses you know they’re good but they not quite getting there, she doesn’t travel interstate, we’re like ‘oh god, come on’ sort of thing and then when they do this you’re sort of like ‘finally’.”