The Bart Cummings stable has taken the blinkers off and applied winkers to Australasian Oaks favourite Empress Rock in order to get the best out of the filly in Saturday’s Group One feature at Morphettville.
The master trainer has prepared 264 Group One winners and has the chance to increase that amazing tally with Empress Rock in Adelaide and Precedence in the Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick.
Cummings is after his fifth Australasian Oaks having won the race with Royal Regatta (1983), Stapleton Lass (1989), Our Tristalight (1993) and Tristalove (1994).
Empress Rock is beautifully bred being by former classy sprinter Fastnet Rock, while her dam Empress Jade is a half-sister to former Hong Kong champion sprinter Silent Witness.
The filly has raced seven times for three wins including successive wins this autumn in the Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington and the Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley, both at Group Two level.
She failed to complete a hat-trick when fifth as odds-on favourite to Crucial in the Group Three Auraria Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville on March 7.
However stewards reported that she jumped away very awkwardly on that occasion, shifted out, was brushed and became unbalanced for a short distance.
However she is much better off under the set weights conditions on Saturday where she will meet Crucial four kilograms better.
Empress Rock will be trying to emulate Anamato (2007) who is the only filly to complete the Kewney-Fillies Classic-Australasian Oaks treble.
Steven Arnold sticks with Empress Jade who drew barrier nine in the 16-horse field plus four emergencies.
While there may be some doubt about the filly getting the 2000m trip, punters are relying on her class getting her through and she has been backed from $4.50 in to $3.60 favouritism with TAB Sportsbet.
Her dam Empress Jade, by Encosta de Lago, won twice for the Cummings stable up to 1850m.
Luke Nolen’s mount Our Miss Jones is at $7 with Crucial and Rahveel at $8, Red Typhoon $10 and Kiwi filly Kasumi at $11.
