Vergara out to be the Queen of the Turf
An outsider in the Doncaster Mile, Vergara has still not endeared herself to punters for her next assignment despite her solid fourth behind Winx.
But trainer Anthony Cummings has every reason to believe the mare is better than the $35 suggests in Saturday’s Group One Queen Of The Turf (1600m) against her own sex.
Vergara started at $151 and led the Doncaster field and stuck on well behind Winx, Happy Clapper and Azkadellia who is the $3.80 Queen Of The Turf favourite.
The seven-day back-up is of no concern to Cummings, who in fact believes it may be to her advantage.
“She ran to a career-best in the Doncaster and has bounced back better than we could have hoped,” Cummings said.
“She has backed up before and run well so there are certainly no worries on that score.”
After running ninth in the Coolmore Classic on March 12, finishing less than four lengths from the winner Peeping, Vergara went out a week later to claim her first Group win in the Epona Stakes (1900m).
As she did in the Doncaster, Vergara took the lead early in the Group Three Epona, defying all attempts to run her down.
She will start from barrier one on Saturday with her Doncaster rider Kathy O’Hara aboard.
“The inside barrier should be OK with the rail out six metres,” Cummings said.
“All’s good.”
The Ciaron Maher-trained Azkadellia ran second in the Coolmore before her Doncaster placing.
Trainer John Thompson will rely on Zanbagh in the Queen Of The Turf with First Seal going for a spell after her 12th in the Doncaster.
Thompson has resurrected Zanbagh’s career after her owner Sandy Tait decided last year to delay her retirement.
Trained by the late Guy Walter to seconds in the VRC and Australian Oaks, the five-year-old goes to her next Group One assignment off a win in the Group Two Emancipation Stakes.
She is the $6 second favourite with three-year-old Risque at $8 to go better than she did when unplaced as favourite in her first attempt at 2000m in the Vinery Stud Stakes.