Talented filly Ever The Same overcome some anxious moments in the straight to dive through for a thrilling win in Friday’s Listed PJ Bell Stakes at Canterbury.
The three-year-old filly formed part of a winning treble for trainer Anthony Cummings on the seven-race program with stablemates Song Shan and Ain’t She Grand also in the winners’ circle.
Ever The Same ($4.60 fav) was back in the ruck with nowhere to go in the early part of the straight but when a split come inside the final 200m Jim Cassidy drove her through to notch her first stakes success.
Her slashing final sectional in the 1200m contest denied the Peter Snowden-trained Aerobatics ($18) who finished a long head away in second place with the Port Macquarie-trained filly Leviosa ($26) a short head away third.
“She’s got an engine,” Cassidy told Cummings as he dismounted from the winner.
The champion jockey said it was just a matter of trying to find a clear passage for Ever The Same in the straight.
“She was full of running and Anthony said to me not to push the button until I have to,” Cassidy said.
“I didn’t get a chance to push it, I just had to look for runs in the straight. She got the gap late and was too good.
“Her turn of foot is terrific. I think she might be a nice Queensland Guineas horse.”
The daughter of Canny Lad is likely to have another Sydney autumn carnival appearance before any possible trip to Queensland with Cummings indicating the Gosford Guineas or James Carr Stakes would be the filly’s next start.
Ever The Same was having just her seventh start and Cummings said she had shown talent right from the start of her career.
“We actually tried her in a stakes race in Melbourne at the back-end of the spring carnival but with the trip and being at the end of her preparation that was all a bit beyond her on that day,” he said.
“She’s a promising filly though. She’s got a stakes win now and she’ll go on with it.”
Earlier in the day, Victorian-based apprentice Katelyn Mallyon made the most of her first ride in Sydney with victory on Spot The Rock in the National Apprentices Handicap (1250m).
