A lengthy preparation has paid dividends for the James Cummings-trained Inhibitions ($14.00), with the four-year-old mare proving best of the girls in the Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday afternoon.
She benefited by a perfect steer by Kerrin McEvoy, with the star hoop landing into the one-one throughout after jumping nicely from barrier five.
Stable companion Commemorative ($4.40) was heavily backed with horse racing bookmakers prior to the jump and was forced to settle last after missing the start from stall one, while Clear Thinking ($4.20) was dragged back to sit to her outside.
It left the Bjorn Baker-trained pair of Bonita Queen ($6.50) and Spring Lee ($4.80) to take up the running, with the duo striding out at a moderate tempo.
Inhibitions was quick to take over in the final furlong, and while Clear Thinking and Commemorative lost no admirers chasing gamely in behind, they simply had too much work to do in the home straight as Inhibitions had pinched a winning break under McEvoy.
James Cummings was clearly chuffed that a long-range plan had paid off.
“It’s an interesting set up actually,” said Cummings.
“We thought about where we were going to take Inhibitions. We had Commemorative flying but we had looked at this race from a long way out with Inhibitions. It’s a plan well pulled off.
“Interesting that Domenic (Beirne) throughout the week actually had them flipped on the prices, he thought that Inhibitions was twice the chance of Commemorative, so it’s good that we pulled off the plan.
“She’s now a stakes winner, a valuable filly by Zoustar who was purchased at the sales. Andy Makiv actually picked her out from the Melbourne Premier Sale and she’ll just go on to be part of our broodmare band in the future.
Kerrin McEvoy was delighted with the win and credited her fitness compared to some key rivals.
“Great run,” said McEvoy.
“She had a nice trail, she’s been running well, she was fit. We were able to just make use of a nice draw and she was up and going with a nice light weight on her back. So it was a nice race for her to get some black type.
“Around the corner I thought, they’ve run along in front and we were going to be running on strongly and it’s going to take a good one to beat me. So fair play to her.”
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