ANTHONY Cummings had a winner at Hawkesbury on Saturday, mere hours before his father Bart died.
Bart Cummings was a legendary racing indentity, with 12 Melbourne Cup winning horses to his name. He died in his sleep aged 87.
Anthony Cummings’ charge Flashing Speed won by 2.3 lengths in a 1100-metre maiden plate.
Scott Singleton’s Art of Defence has claimed back to back wins at Hawkesbury Race Club after winning on Saturday.
It was the 11th career win for the four year old gelding.
Art of Defence was racing in a 2000-metre 60 handicap and won by half of a length.
Singleton’s heart rate would surely have been high watching the final 400 metres of the race.
Art of Defence and apprentice jockey Jess Taylor made her way to the front at about the 200 metre mark, after trailing by three lengths for much of the race.
However, as Taylor and Art of Defence hit the front, Chris Waller’s Sashay was flying home on the outside.
If the race was even 25 metres longer a photo finish would certainly have been required, and it might have been that Art of Defence ran second, such was the pace Sashay was going at.
The win backed up another win at Hawkesbury in August over 1800 metres. Singleton was the only Hawkesbury trainer to post a win on Saturday.
Terry Croft’s Vite Loni, who was a late scratching for the Rowley Mile, was second to Gai Waterhouse’s King Kinshasa in an 1800-metre benchmark 75.
