Anthony Cummings will stretch Gybe’s preparation deeper into the spring carnival after the talented mare added more black type to her resume in the Sheraco Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
In work for most of the year, Gybe confirmed her resilience to emerge from a successful winter campaign to claim the $100,000 Listed race over 1100m after a rails-hugging ride from Glen Boss.
“She’s as tough as … handles all conditions. Just a genuine mare,” Cummings said.
With a breakneck speed set up by Platinum Skye and Solar Charged, Gybe ($6.50) came from midfield to overhaul the favourite Phenomenal Lass ($4.80) and score a half-neck win.
Ofcourseican ($5.50) flashed home from the back to finish the same margin away third.
The victory gave Cummings and Boss a winning double after they earlier combined with former New Zealand stayer Red Eye Special.
Gybe opened her career with a stakes win as a juvenile before losing her way in the early part of her three-year-old season.
“After she won the Gimcrack Stakes at her first start she didn’t come back after that,” Cummings said.
“But that is all behind her now and I think she can keep going on with it although 1100 (metres) to 1200 is the right distance for her.”
Gybe, who has now won five of her 12 starts, raced in blinkers for the first time on Saturday.
“Because she was coming back in distance I wanted her to be sharper to finish off … it’s nice when a plan works out,” Cummings said.
Boss, in Sydney to ride Smart Missile for Cummings in the $1 million Golden Rose, also had high praise for Gybe.
“She is really tough, she has a real go. Her finishing speed is very good,” he said.
Her durability will be further put to the test at Rosehill in a fortnight when she tackles the $250,000 Group Three Gold Pendant (1200m) at Rosehill.
“Beyond that there’s the Melbourne carnival and a race like the Salinger Stakes isn’t out of the question,” Cummings said.
Phenomenal Lass was being hailed the winner until Gybe arrived with a late finish, denying jockey Corey Brown a Golden Rose day victory for the second time in four races.
“She ran out of her skin and I think she’ll definitely be a 1200-metre horse in 12 months time,” Brown said.
Trainer John O’Shea said stakes-performed mare Solar Charged had run her last race after she finished near the tail of the field.
“She has been retired,” he told stewards.
AAP TURF
